To Stay or Leave?
by CrimsonSnapDragon
Summary: What happens when a girl gets into a riding accident and lands in Middle Earth? Or when she is used as a pawn in an evil plot against Prince Legolas's life?
1. Hold onto your seat

QUICKLY: I started this fic a long, long time ago, and, reading it back lately, have decided it no longer suits me. So I will be polishing it, one chapter at a time :)

Until the last chap is worked on, I apologize for any disjointedness that may result :)

Also, this fic takes place after the War and all except Boromir are alive and well!

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing of the Lord of the Rings.

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I looked over at my friend, Laura. "Are you sure," I whispered a final time, "that this is a good idea?"

She chuckled, walking her horse in a circle around mine. "Don't worry about it, Fay. Trooper's a great horse; he's super sweet and mellow!"

I pursed my lips, trying not to protest anymore, and glanced down at the Appaloosa below me. His ears swiveled back towards me, and he glanced over his shoulder.

We looked at each other a moment, appraising the situation.

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, and I tensed in the saddle as all the gear creaked.

How, again, had they gotten me up here?

Laura laughed at me some more. "O, come on, Fay! He's not a monster!"

She trotted up beside me, her tack jingling. "This is going to be so much fun! It's an absolutely beautiful day and _we're not in school_!"

"Well…"

I had to admit—_that_ was true. Even sitting on top of a hundred-something pound animal was better than Calculus, right?

"Come on. Just give him a little tap with your heel and let's go!" She urged.

Trying to ignore my roommate's watching gaze, I looked to the side, where my stirrup was. Hesitantly, reluctant to let my foot leave the relative safety of the little, metal ring, I slid my borrowed boot out and touched my foot to the horse's side.

Happy to finally have something to do, Trooper started forward. I quickly finagled with the stirrup, trying to get my foot back in. It fought with me, dangling and twisting tauntingly. Trooper ignored it, plodding along the path slowly.

I managed to pop my foot back in right as Laura took the lead. Straight-backed on her chestnut mare, she trotted along the small, dirt path between the trees.

We moved in silence for a few minutes, her letting me adjust to what I perceived to be a precarious situation. Then she stood up in her stirrups, inhaling the warm air deeply. "Isn't it just gorgeous out here?"

"Yea," I smiled,

"I'm so glad you decided to come up here for the Summer, Fay. It usually gets kinda boring around August, but with you here, we can come up with lots of things to do! We can go riding every morning and…"

She stopped at the sound that chirped, uncontrolled, from my throat. I looked at her with wide eyes, and she laughed.

"Okay," she consented. "Maybe not _every_ day. But, hey! If you want to, later, we can hop in the lake!"

I laughed. "_That_ sounds a little better! …More of what I had in mind when you said, 'Spend the Summer at my family's farm."

She chuckled more. "Alright, sweet. We should go now before dinner!"

My stomach rumbled at the thought of dinner; her mother, as I'd discovered when I arrived yesterday, was such a good cook!

She turned around and pulled her horse up beside me again.

"How about," she murmured, that same twinkle in her eyes as when she made raid the boys' dorm with her, "we _race_ back?"

I gaped at her, and, as usual, she laughed at my predictable reaction. "Fay, how can a girl who runs marathons all the time be afraid of a little race?"

"Because," I grumbled, hastily pushing some wispy bangs out of my eyes, "I run _those_ on _my_ feet!"

She waved her hand in acquiescence. "Fine, fine. _But_…if you're not willing to take up the challenge, _you_ get to do all the dishes for the rest of the Summer!"

"Excuse me, but I am a _guest_!"

"Hardly," she smiled. "My mother told you to think of yourself as family and the family does the dishes!"

I scowled at her a moment, and then glanced down at Trooper. The poor thing hadn't had any excitement since being assigned to me, and I _was_ kind of getting the hang of this…

Clearly, I wouldn't win the race, but they'd gotten me on the horse so I might as well get the full experience…

And who wanted to do dishes during Summer break?

"Okay," I relented. "But a _slow_ race!"

"Yes!" Her face broke out into a full smile, her dimples deepening in her cheeks. "Are you ready?"

I nodded.

"Okay! Get set……GO!!"

The mare flew forward and Trooper's ears immediately perked up in interest.

I took a deep breath, watching Laura's form grow smaller as she raced away.

"Okay. Alright. Ready, Trooper? Let's go! I can do this!" Not knowing what else to do, I slapped the reins against his neck. Maybe it wasn't the proper command, but it was all the encouragement he needed to let his instinct take over.

He shot forward like a bat out of hell, nearly whip-lashing me from the saddle. Shocked, I scrambled to grab the reins tighter, grab his mane…something! Yet even with my legs clutching desperately against his sides, I became completely tangled and discombobulated.

His powerful strides struck the ground below me, and I felt panic seep in from the edges of my body. "Stop! Stop!" I shouted at him, yanking the reins and wondering what the hell had happened to his "mellow" disposition. My frantic shouting only urged him on faster, however, and I felt myself slipping as my muscles started shaking violently.

Then, I heard a strange crashing sound, a thud, and everything went black.


	2. Alone in the Woods

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DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING OF LORD OF THE RINGS (sadly)! IT ALL BELONGS TO THAT GENIUS J.R.R. TOLKIEN!  
  
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Time for me to rant and rave!!!!!!!! ^^ (this could take a while, sorry. U can just skip it. Which I'm sure you've done by NOW, lol)  
  
CCC (Camilla Sandman)- I like my exclamation points!!!!! And having a deranged mind is GOOD!!!!!^_^ (Just think I should mention, my 'theme song' so to speak, is "Anything But Ordinary" by Avril Levigne. Tee hee ^_^)  
  
Joan Milligan- I'm sure that not many people do care what an Appaloosa is, or how you measure a horse. But guess what, I DO. MY FIC. Besides, I don't want to be speakin' a foreign language to a reader. & I like my "PLEEZ REVIEW" it does NOT look immature, it looks like I want reviews! (which I do ^^) by the way, how do you know that I won't die if I don't get reviews? I could very well be a crazy psychopath who goes livid when she gets 'constructive criticism' (as you called it.) Yes, I am going for the old 'girl lands in Middle earth' and YES, I'm going to make it original. Even if I didn't, there's a simple solution for you... DON'T READ IT! P.s. there are NO 'strict rules' in writing a fanfic.  
  
Samus- that must have stunk! Glad to hear you weren't hurt!  
  
To all other reviewers- thanx SOOOO much! You guys r GREAT! ^^  
  
Enjoy & PLEEZ REVIEW!!!! (Joan Milligan- hee hee ^^)  
  
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"Common"  
  
~Elvish~  
  
translations  
  
:::thoughts:::  
  
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FAY'S P.O.V.  
  
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I opened my eyes, and sat up. Everything around me swayed. "Uh..." I moaned. With my head in one hand, I reached up to grab the fence with the other. My hand hit air. Instantly, I looked. There was nothing there. No fence, no sand, no horses, and no Lauren. All that I could see where the woods that surrounded the fence.  
  
"Lauren?" I called, worry rising slightly. There was no answer. "Lauren?" I tried again, panic now becoming more evident. "Come on! This isn't funny!" I hollered. Silence met my ears.  
  
Thoughts chased each other around and around my head. :::What happened? How did I get here? Where is 'here'? How long have I been out?:::  
  
I stood up and looked around. There was a circle shaped clearing in the trees where the riding ring should have been. I was standing in the middle of it. I walked along the edge of it and examined it more closely.  
  
There was nothing strange about it at all. Just a convenient clearing in the middle of the woods. :::This is NOT good::: I thought. I knew that I should sit and wait for someone to come find me, or help me. But my legs (not to mention my butt), were sore from my ride, and I needed to shake the Jell-O feeling.  
  
So I did the stupidest thing I could've done in that situation, I began to explore. I knew that I must have looked pretty dumb in my riding breeches and boots, but I didn't have any cloths that I could change into.  
  
Besides, I didn't really care what I looked like. All I wanted, was to find some civilization. "Hello! Hello?" I yelled, over and over. But all I managed to do was frighten some animals away.  
  
Now, the sun was going down and I was completely lost, not to mention scared. I had no food, no lights, no compass, no map, and no idea what the hell I was gonna do.  
  
So, I sat down, right there on the forest floor, sighing. Damn boots. They were OBVIOUSLY meant for riding, not walking. I could feel the blisters forming and wished desperately for some sneakers or REAL walking boots.  
  
As the sun crept behind some mountains in the distance (Mountains? Since when are there mountains around here?), weariness crept over me. I sighed again, knowing that sleeping on the ground in the middle of a dark forest was not the safest thing. But then again, neither was walking off, and I'd done that.  
  
Looking around me, I found the perfect tree. The space in between the branches was easy for me to climb around on. I happily hopped onto the lowest limb, and began to work my way up. Once I was sure that I was free from skunks or wolves or anything of that sort, I stopped. I decided that in the morning, I would climb up to the very top, and look around at where I was.  
  
I sighed and leaned back. Instantly, I was in a deep sleep. Several times during the night, I woke up. It was cold out, and sleeping on a branch all night definently couldn't compare to a five-star hotel bed. But hey, what was I supposed to do?  
  
I'll tell you what I DID do. I cried. How was I going to get out of this mess? Who was stupid enough to play this joke on me? Was it even a joke? Was I lost on purpose? But who would want to get rid of me like this?  
  
I shook these negative thoughts from my head. They would just make things worse. But I still had this nagging feeling that I couldn't get rid of though. I didn't like it, not one bit.  
  
The next morning, after much tossing, turning, and almost falling off the branch, I spotted a stream in the distance. It didn't look too far off, and I decided that a little cleaning up would help me on my way. I left the safety of the tall branch, and began walking.  
  
Here's a little life's lesson for you: looks can be deceiving. The stream WAS far off. When I left the tree, the sun had JUST risen and the pink of dawn was fading away. Now, the sun was directly overhead, meaning that it was noon. :::By the time I get to the freakin' thing, I'm gonna need FIVE baths. Am I even goin' the right way?::: I thought. It would be REALLY annoying if I did all that walking in the wrong direction.  
  
Finally, a little after what I judged was two-o-clock, I reached the stream. Another little problem- it wasn't a little stream, it was a RIVER. Complete with huge rapids and everything. I groaned. This was NOT my day. No, not my WEEK.  
  
Sighing, I pulled off my boots, and, sitting on the bank, dipped my feet into the water. It was extremely cold, and little goosebumps rose up all over my legs. Oh well, at least now my blisters felt better.  
  
I pulled my feet out and sat there for a few minutes. Finally, I put my socks and boots back on. My feet ached in protest, but I knew that it would be worse if I went barefoot. I also knew that dehydrating myself was NOT a good idea. So I leaned over the water, and, cupping my hands, took a long drink.  
  
At that moment, the dirt underneath me collapsed, and I plunged into the water. Instantly, the rapids began to carry my along, whether I wanted to go or not. Coughing and spluttering, I tried to keep my head above the surface, but it didn't always work.  
  
I was carried for a LONG time. My lips were blue, and I was gasping for breath. Every inch of me was covered in goosebumps and I was shivering a lot. I'd tried to grab onto passing rocks several times, but my fingers were wet and slippery.  
  
Finally, the rampaging river emptied into a lake, a VERY, VERY deep lake. I saw the shore, and pleaded with my aching limbs to carry me there. Somehow I managed to dog paddle/swim my way over to the edge, where I collapsed in a breathless heap.  
  
The sky was a deep purple. I'd been carried for hours. I was tired, wet, freezing, hungry, scared, and lost. (A/N: Looking on the bright side- At least she isn't thirsty anymore! Lol)  
  
My mind was too numb to even try to think of a way out of this problem. I was feeling lightheaded and everything kept spinning. I also felt heavy and knew that I was waterlogged. Numerous cuts and bruises covered my body from sharp rocks and sticks that had been in the water.  
  
Voices in the distance rang through my ears and buzzed in my head. By now, I'd given up hope and dismissed them, thinking that I was now hallucinating. Blackness surrounded me and I felt as though I was drowning in ink well, but I welcomed the peaceful bliss.  
  
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ARAGORN'S P.O.V.  
  
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(A/N: I know that this part is SOOO common, but I couldn't think of any other way for them to meet...)  
  
Gimli and I were on our way to Mirkwood to visit Legolas. His four thousandth birthday was a week away.  
  
(A/N: This takes place AFTER the war. Everyone is still alive and in Middle Earth)  
  
"Aragorn, I think that we should stop for the night. We've been walking since dawn and I'm starved." Gimli muttered. I sighed. "If it pleases you, oh son of Gloin." He scowled at my mocking remark, but let it pass.  
  
I found a small space between the trees and Gimli gathered firewood, which I quickly lit. Soon enough, the fire was roaring before us and we were chewing on the food that we'd packed. The sky was fading and the stars were rolling out. "I'm going to go and fill my canteen." Gimli said between bites. I nodded and handed him a stick. He lit it as a torch, and made his way to the nearby lake.  
  
I waited patiently for him to return, eating my lemba as I did. Suddenly, there was a cry of shock. "ARAGORN!" Gimli hollered (A/N: For someone with such a small body, he's got quite the set of lungs, eh?) "You'd better come and see this!"  
  
I swallowed my last bite of the sweet Elven treat, and grabbed a spare torch stick. Quickly, I lit it, and headed for the lake. When I reached Gimli, he was standing by a figure. "I tripped over the poor lass." He explained. I knelt down, handing my torch to Gimli.  
  
The figure was a young girl with pale skin, some small freckles sprinkled across her nose, and shocking blond hair. At first, I thought she was an elf, as she so closely resembled one and we WERE right near Mirkwood, but then I noticed her ears. They were curved at the top, not pointed. "How do you s'ppose she got here?" Gimli wondered aloud.  
  
"Judging by the fact that she's soaking wet, I'd say that the river carried her here." His brow furrowed, but he asked no further questions. I continued to examine the girl.  
  
She was bruised, shivering with blue lips, and very bloody. "What are we going to do with her?" The Dwarf piped up again. I sighed, rubbing my chin in thought. "I guess we could take her to Mirkwood." He nodded, then leaned down and handed my torch back to me. "Lass, lass!" He said, shaking her gently.  
  
At first she didn't move, but after a few more tries, Gimli got her to open her eyes. "What? Huh?" She looked around, still blinking slightly. "Are you all right?" I asked. She looked at me as though she'd just realized that I was there. "I, uh, think so." Her voice was scratchy, and her throat was probably sore.  
  
Gimli must have realized this too, because he offered her a drink. "No more water..." She groaned, and my suspicions of her river journey were confirmed. "When was the last time that you ate?" I asked. Her eyebrows knitted together in thought. "I don't remember." I nodded and offered my hand.  
  
She took it and I hoisted her up. "Come back to our camp." I said. "We have a fire going where you can dry and warm up. We will also give you some food." She nodded her thanks, and Gimli guided her back to camp.  
  
All the short walk, I watched her. She was most curious. She had on leggings and boots, which was strange, as women did not wear such things. She also had on a strange tunic and cloak. The tunic was black (much like the rest of her outfit) but it had no sleeves. Her cloak was even more interesting. It was much like a normal tunic, but where the buttons should have been, was a strange metal lining that was a bright silver color. (A/N: Zipper)  
  
Most curious though, was something I had not noticed before. She had her blond hair done into a braid at the back of her neck, but some parts of it were different colors! There was a weaving of blond, dark blue, and crimson red all worked into one. I did not know what to make of her.  
  
By now, of course, she was seated in front of the fire, quietly eating a lemba. Gimli had lent her a spare cloak while hers was set aside to dry along with her boots and socks. Her lips weren't blue anymore, and she was shaking less. "Thank you SO much, kind sirs." She said. I nodded, as did Gimli.  
  
"My name is Aragorn." I said, extending a hand. I had just realized that none of us were properly introduced. She shook my hand, and I pointed to the Dwarf. "That is Gimli son of Gloin." Her eyes were wide, and she looked as though she were going to pass out, but she somehow managed to shake Gimli's hand nonetheless.  
  
"You are?" Gimli asked. She shook her head, as though trying to clear away thoughts, and spoke up. "Fay." She said. We nodded. "Very nice to meet you Lady Fay." "Likewise." She smiled. "Tell me," I said. "How you ended up in that spot." She looked down, probably embarrassed.  
  
"I was out riding when I slipped off the horse. I suppose that I hit my head because I blacked out. When I woke up, I wasn't sure where was. Then I did a stupid thing and wandered off looking for my horse or someone that I knew. Finding nothing, I spent the night in a tree. The next morning I spotted what I thought was a stream from the high branches of the tree. It turned out to be a rather large and wild river. I was extremely thirsty though, so I sat on the bank and took a drink. The land beneath me caved and I was thrown in and carried to the lake." She finished. I nodded.  
  
"How unfortunate." Gimli mumbled. "Where do you live?" I asked, thinking that if it were close by we would have time to take her. She bit her lip, as though unsure she wanted to say it. "New England." She whispered.  
  
My eyebrows raised. "I've never heard of such a place." Gimli said. "It's in America." She said, trying hard to make us realize. "I'm sorry. I've never heard of America either." She bit her lip harder. "Then, where are we?" She asked quietly, almost as though she was afraid of the answer. "On the fringes of Mirkwood Forest, Middle Earth." I answered her.  
  
If possible, her eyes got even larger. "Oh my..." She mumbled. Suddenly, she started laughing. Gimli and I exchanged looks, not sure what to make of this. "Ok," she said through her mirth. "This is funny! Who put you up to this? I mean, really, Aragorn, heir of Isildor (A/N: Is that how you spell that? Oh well, whatever.) and Gondor? YEAH! Right! And Gimli, the little Dwarf? This is just too much. Really now, where did you buy those costumes? They're really authentic..."  
  
"COSTUMES!?" Gimli fumed. "Milady, are you well? These are NOT costumes!" She gave him a skeptical look. "Ok, yeah, sure. You can stop acting now, I know that this is just a big joke." She said, sounding irritated.  
  
If she was annoyed, it was nothing to Gimli's frustration. "WE'RE NOT ACTING!" He roared. She moved a little farther back, looking suddenly confused and unsure. "Gimli, please." I said, holding out my hand. He sat back down, glaring at the fire and mumbling to himself in the language of the Dwarves.  
  
"Milady," I said calmly, looking her straight in the eye. "This is no joke. Please try to relax and accept this. We'd like to help you, but you must believe us." The look in her eyes said that she wanted to believe but for some reason, she just couldn't. "I, I..." She stuttered. Her mouth hung open and she put up her hands. "This is too much! I, I need to sleep more often!" She exclaimed and I nodded. "Please," I agreed. "Go to sleep and clear your mind. In the morning you can come to MirkWood with us and we'll figure out how to solve this problem."  
  
I heard Gimli snort in the background, but ignored him. "Yeah," She said, nodding and pulling the cloak tighter to her. "Yeah, let's do that..." She nodded. Suddenly, she sat up again. "You'll be here when I wake up, right?" She asked, clearly scared of being lost and alone again. "We promise." I smiled and she nodded. Closing her eyes, she lay down and went to sleep.  
  
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So, what did ya think? Review and let me know! 


	3. Chanced Meetings

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DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING OF LORD OF THE RINGS (sadly)!  
  
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Me...bored...decided to write...  
  
ENJOY! REVIEW! ^^  
  
P.s. Sorry if it gets a little Mary-Sueish here. But really, could you ever go live in someone else's house and just sit around all day while they waited on you? A) That would get boring after a while. B) It would be extremely uncomfortable and REALLY rude (to me, anyway).  
  
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FAY'S P.O.V.  
  
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I was lying in that world between the waking and the sleeping. Where dreams are so authentic, that you feel as though you could just reach out and touch them...  
  
I had the strangest and yet, most interesting dream imaginable. I fell off Trooper the horse, and landed in Middle Earth (How, I know not). After a cold and lonely night, I was accidentally plunged into a river and washed downstream to a lake.  
  
Aragorn and Gimli, from that series, THE LORD OF THE RINGS, found me, and helped me. Considering that my clothes were still wet, I was lent a cloak (so thick and warm you never want to take it off) and I even was given a lemba to eat.  
  
The dream was so real, I could taste the sweetness of the elven treat, feel the cold earth beneath me and the warm fire of the campground beside me, the cloak around me, someone shaking me...  
  
No, wait. That's real! Someone really was shaking me. I opened my eyes, and instantly, the sun greeted me, and instantly, I shut them again. "Five more minutes..." I groaned, thinking that my mother had pulled the shades in a final effort to wake me.  
  
"Sorry, Milady, but we should leave now." My mother said. Wait, since when was mom's voice so deep and scratchy? I turned over and looked...straight into the eyes of Gimli the Dwarf.  
  
My eyes widened. "So I wasn't dreaming..." I whispered in awe. Gimli laughed, a full deep throated laugh. "No, no, lass. You were not dreaming." I sat up, rubbing the sleepiness from my face. "Good morning." Aragorn nodded, and I managed a weak grin.  
  
Gimli tossed me my jacket. "Here you are, all dry." He said. I caught it, and regretfully putting the heavenly cloak aside, pulled it on. Then I reached beside me and grabbed my boots, shoving my feet into them and lacing up the ties.  
  
When finished, I stood up. "How do you fare this morning, lady?" Aragorn asked. I nodded, smiling. "Very well, thanks to you." Gimli smiled. "Would you be so kind as to carry this?" He asked, handing me a VERY small pack. "Of course!" I exclaimed, somewhat shocked. "It's the least that I can do..." He laughed. "Please, do not worry about that. It was our pleasure." I smiled my gratefulness again, and we set off.  
  
After an hour or so of silent walking (again, riding boots are simply NOT meant for walking) (A/N: YEAH, that's why they're called RIDING boots, duh.), I realized that I didn't have the slightest idea where we were going. "So, um, where exactly are we headed to?" I asked quietly.  
  
"Mirkwood, to see Prince Legolas. If there is somewhere that you would like us to take you instead..." He trailed off, and I didn't need him to tell me that they'd get me basically anywhere (Anywhere is Middle Earth, that is, unfortunately).  
  
I tried to keep the grin off my face, Legolas was my FAVORITE character from Lord of the Rings. I mean, I wasn't DROOLING obsessed with him (some people may disagree with me on that, though), but I couldn't exactly just brush him off either...  
  
"No, thank you anyways, Aragorn. You have already gone out of your way for me." He nodded, and again we started moving.  
  
We didn't stop or talk again until VERY late that night. I was EXTREMELY tired, but I didn't say anything. I felt embarrassed enough, having them find me unconscious. UH, what a mess!  
  
I don't like to be weak, not in front of people, anyways. Crying, falling, blushing, fainting, complaining, being all mushy and 'talkin' out your feelin's', anything of that sort embarrasses me to NO END.  
  
People always just think 'Uh, little girly princess. Can't go a day without breakin' her nail and havin' to run to Daddy and cry.' I know that that's what they're thinkin', so I just stopped being 'feminine' and 'weak' a long time ago.  
  
If you ask me, people have ALWAYS considered those two words to be synonyms. That infuriates me. Just because I'm a girl, I'm automatically weak. So I have to work twice as hard as all the boys to prove that I'm not. Uh, what a pain in the...  
  
Gimli tossed me the cloak to use as a blanket. "Have a good night, lass." He yawned. "Thank you." I said, and lay down to sleep.  
  
That night, I had a troublesome sleep. That @#!$ ground was cold and wouldn't you know it, I was lying on a bed of rocks. :::Of course! Just my luck.::: I thought sarcastically.  
  
Since I couldn't sleep, I didn't even bother to try. I got up and began to pack everything. Even after I finished all that, dawn still hadn't come (But it was close). By the time Gimli and Aragorn awoke, everything was cleaned and ready to go.  
  
He didn't know it yet, but I'd polished the blade on Gimli's axe. I didn't dare touch Aragorn's sword. I remembered from the story how much he loved it and didn't like anyone even THINKING about touching it.  
  
They awoke, and Aragorn automatically moved to pack his bag, but found it done for him. He looked at me, and I smiled. A grin began to spread over his face too. "Well, this is a pleasant surprise. Thank you, Milday." He said, and I nodded. "Again," I said. "If there is ever anything that I can do to help out..." "I will inform you." He assured me. I smiled once more. "Wonderful."  
  
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We walked all day again, but this time we stopped for lunch. By now, Gimli had discovered his axe, and was overjoyed. "It's not looked this good in years!" He exclaimed. I just smiled and ate a lemba (I couldn't get enough of them! They tasted like Angel Food Cake with traces of honey and wrapped in leaves).  
  
"How far from here is Mirkwood?" Gimli asked, finally changing the subject. (He just kept on praising me. Granted it was nice, but after a while, I got uncomfortable. I didn't bother to tell him though).  
  
"An hour's walk." Aragorn replied simply. I must admit, I was shocked by his answer, but I didn't say anything.  
  
Actually, I'd been doing that a lot lately. Back home, I was very hyper, and extremely witty. Anytime that I could get my two bits (A/N: Yay! Two- Bit! From the Outsiders! I LOVE him! ^^) in, I did. But suddenly, ever since my little "spill" into the river, I'd barely said a word.  
  
I used to act like I was on a permanent sugar-high, but now, now I just felt, tranquil. I think it was the forest. Everything about it was so peaceful and quiet, and put me at ease. Back home, there was a little stream across from my grandmother's house, and whenever I went over there, I would sit on one of the large rocks, and just sit there quietly, for hours on end.  
  
That's what I was doing now.  
  
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Before I knew it, we stood at the gates of Mirkwood. I could feel a knot in my stomach and a lump in my throat. What on Earth (A/N: Or should we say 'what on Middle earth'? tee hee) do you say to your crush?  
  
Many times I'd pictured meeting him, but I thought then that he was only a storybook character, not real. Now, he would be right in front of me, in the flesh! AHHHH! WHAT DO I DO??!!  
  
The doors slowly opened, creaking and groaning in protest. Aragorn and Gimli just walked right through as though they'd been out on a morning jog and were returning. I, on the other hand, felt like Jell-O, and was sure that I was going to collapse any moment. But that would be embarrassing, so I didn't.  
  
Many, many elves stood everywhere. They all looked like clones, if you ask me. Every one of them had the same platinum blond hair, tall stature, creamy skin, china blue eyes, and elegant robes. I don't know why I felt out of place. I probably looked like an elf too (Just in really weird clothes).  
  
"Well! If it isn't Master Elf, himself!" Gimli cried suddenly. I whipped my head up out of deep thought and looked. There, before me, greeting Aragorn and Gimli, was Legolas.  
  
I just stood quietly in the background, hoping to high heaven (A/N: Or should it be 'high haven'? Hmmm...) that no one would notice me. The three of them stood there for a few minutes, overjoyed at their little reunion.  
  
Finally, Legolas looked up, and I thought I would die of joy, though I dare not let it show on my face (You know, if it's possible, he was even more handsome in person, then in the movie). "And who is this lovely lady, hmmm?" He asked.  
  
I curtsied slightly (something I'd never done before). "Fay, your highness." I said quietly. He smiled and held out his hand. "Welcome." He said. "Thank you." I replied, reaching forward to shake his hand. Before I could grasp it, he took mine ad raised it to his lips, kissing the back of it softly.  
  
I guess that a look of bewilderment crossed my face because Gimli started laughing. I gently yet firmly pried my hand from Legolas's fingers and tried not to look so shocked. Legolas seemed confused, and Aragorn stepped forward to explain. While Gimli was laughing outright, you could tell that Aragorn was trying his best to hide his amusement.  
  
"She's not from around here, Legolas." "Oh." He said, looking silly. "I apologize, Milady." I waved my hand aside. "All in the past." I said, and he smiled.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
THE END, FOR NOW REVIEW! 


	4. Getting Situated

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DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING OF LORD OF THE RINGS (sadly)!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Me...bored...decided to write...  
  
ENJOY! REVIEW! ^^  
  
P.s. Sorry if it gets a little Mary-Sueish here. But really, could you ever go live in someone else's house and just sit around all day while they waited on you? A) That would get boring after a while. B) It would be extremely uncomfortable and REALLY rude (to me, anyway).  
  
Galadriel Greenleaf- I COMPLETELY agree. Glad that you like it ^^  
  
ElvenGirl- I COMPLETELY (I seem 2 like that word today...) forgot that Aragorn was human. Oops. Oh well, let's just call it...author's license. ^^  
  
B.T.W.- I reread my previous chapters & realized all my spelling and grammar mistakes. Sorry. But I really don't feel like fixin' 'em, so please just bear with me ^^ REVIEW!  
  
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FAY'S P.O.V.  
  
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A week or so later, I was quite situated. I hadn't really talked to Aragorn, Gimli, or Legolas since our little 'meeting'.  
  
In this 'meeting' I'd explained everything that'd happened to me. They were skeptical at first, but after some time, got used to the idea.  
  
In the meantime, I was invited to stay at the palace until they figured out a way for me to get home. At first, Legolas had me in a fairly nice room by Gimli and Aragorn. But I just felt so weird, having all those people wait on me, (not to mention, bored) that I insisted that I return Legolas's hospitality.  
  
I gathered my few possessions and moved down to servants quarters. I was now officially a paid maid at the palace of Mirkwood.  
  
Unfortunately, I'm quite a tomboy, and all the maids had hysterical fits when I tried to curtsy and fell flat on my rear.  
  
Thus, they arranged 'classes' so to speak, for me. These 'classes' were to teach me how to be a 'lady'. To be frank, I hated these classes. My instructor's name was Lady Cirila. I suppose that this was appropriate because her name meant ladylike.  
  
She was patient, and tried hard, but I'm NOT a good student in this field. Today, I was learning how to serve tea. "No, no Fay, dear. Try not to shake the pot so much, less you spill on the guest."  
  
I held back a stream of swears, as alas, I spilled hot tea all over the table. She bit her lip, and I instantly grabbed a rag, trying desperately to clean the hopeless mess.  
  
Sighing, she placed her hand on my arm. "Perhaps we should just work on your being able to walk properly, before we move on." I nodded, and she led me out of the room, down the hall, into another room.  
  
On the walls of this room, was every type of cloth in every color that you can imagine. I sucked in my breath, gazing at it all. Lady Cirila smiled, and led me over to another woman, who was sitting in a chair, sewing an intricate pattern onto a midnight blue dress.  
  
"Good afternoon Lady Lareea." Lady Cirila greeted. "Afternoon, and who is this young lady that you have with you?" She asked, referring to me. "This is Miss Fay." (I don't have a title yet). "She is in need of a few dresses.  
  
I choked. "Dresses? I HATE dresses." They looked at me strangely, and then burst out laughing. I scowled.  
  
"Don't be absurd, dear. EVERY lady wears a dress." I grumbled consistently under my breath, but allowed Lady Lareea to stand me on a stool and take my measurements.  
  
"Hold up your arms, yes that's it." She ran the tape all along the length of my body, making little marks on a piece of paper. Finally, she walked over to a rack, and pulled down a white dress. This was the maids' uniform. It was, as I said, plain white, with a white sash, bell shaped sleeves (as was the elven fashion), and a soft velvet pair of slippers.  
  
"Here you are, dear." She handed the soft garment to me, and led me to behind a screen. While I changed, she and Lady Cirila talked about something, occasionally taking glances to where I was changing.  
  
When I stepped out, they applauded softly. "NOW you look the part." Lady Lareea smiled. "Not quite." Lady Cirila said, holding her chin in her hands. Then she took my shoulders, and sat me down on the stool.  
  
She pulled the ponytail from my hair, gazing at it curiously. "A trinket from your world?" She asked. I nodded, and she reluctantly placed it aside. The two of them managed to produce a fancy brush from somewhere, and began playing with my hair.  
  
It was combed and pulled up into various styles, before they finally chose one. They had it half up, half down. 'Oh what a surprise.' I thought sarcastically. They smiled. "THERE." Lady Lareea said, smiling. "Return tomorrow morning. I will have the others ready." She said to Lady Cirila.  
  
"Other what?" I asked. "A lady does not ask needless questions." I was told simply. I sighed, and was led back to the 'classroom'.  
  
The rest of the class was basically how to walk properly. She put books on my head, and the better that I did, the more that she added. I reached four books before they all collapsed. She put her small hand over her mouth delicately, trying to hide her amusement.  
  
"Tomorrow we can walk outside. Perhaps the fresh air will help you..." She said. "As for now, goodnight." "YEAH!" I cheered, only to receive a stern look.  
  
Grinning sheepishly, I managed my best curtsy in that horrid dress, and said this "Thank you, Milady, for your patience this day. I look forward to our meeting tomorrow. For now though, I bid you goodnight."  
  
She smiled warmly. "I think you're getting it now."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The next morning, she woke me up, really early. I slipped on my maid's uniform, and she led me to the seamstresses' room. When we got there, Lady Lareea was standing outside. I had no idea of the surprise that awaited me...  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Three brand new dresses. All cut and trimmed to my perfect size. I'd never had a better fit in my life. The design was the same as the maid's uniform, just different colors and more elaborate.  
  
There was a garnet red one with gold trim, a dark green one with an arrow shaped brown waist, and a dark blue one with silver trim. Lady Lareea smiled happily as I tried each on. "No colors suit you better." She said. I grinned. Even if they WERE dresses, they DID look KINDA good- I guess.  
  
Lady Cirila clapped her hands softly. "Come now, puts the uniform back on dear, we have much to work on today." She said.  
  
I nodded, and stepped behind the screen. Quickly, I slipped the white, almost transparent, robe back on. "What do you say to the Lady Lareea, Miss Fay?" Lady Cirila tutored. I managed a small curtsy. "Thank you, SO much. The hard work and effort has not gone unnoticed or unappreciated." I smiled. She grinned. "Of course, dear. Good luck with your lessons today." "Thank you ma'am."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Chin up! Fay, dear, perhaps if I spoke in Sindarin, you'd understand me better?" Lady Cirila scolded. I sighed. The way Elven Maids were required to walk, reminded me of the way English riders had to sit in the saddle; chin up, chest forward, slightly curved back, good posture, delicate steps, polite smile, etc.  
  
As Lauren had always said, act like a snob. I remember the first time she'd told me that, I'd laughed outright. Having someone tell you to act like a snob was a rare occasion.  
  
Stirring in my own memories, I didn't hear my tutor, nor did I notice the Elf walking down the path- his nose in a book. "Fay, FAY!"  
  
I didn't see him until I was right under his nose, literally. We crashed directly into each other. "Your highness!" I gasped. Legolas smiled. "Are you alright?" He asked, grinning with amusement. "I'm..."  
  
Suddenly Lady Cirila stepped in front of me, dropping into a deep curtsy. "Your highness, I apologize for that little mishap. I'm afraid Miss Fay's head was in the clouds, AGAIN." She chuckled slightly, but I could tell me that she wasn't amused. I hate it when people put on an innocent act for people of higher power; I always feel like throwing up.  
  
As was natural, I felt my stomach churning. It reminded me of that feeling that I got when my best friend used to maul her boyfriend in the cafeteria during lunch. Uh...  
  
"That's quite alright." He smiled. Boy, he had a GREAT smile. I, on the other hand, had to suffer through braces for 2 ½ years; getting them tightened, SUCKED.  
  
"Actually, I was just on my way to find Miss Fay." He said. "Y-you were?" Lady Cirila and I stuttered in unison. "Yes," he chuckled more. "I've not seen you since the day you arrived." "I've been very busy, your highness." "Oh, yes! That's right, you're a working woman." He smiled. "Should I take that as a compliment or an insult, your highness?" I asked.  
  
He seemed a bit taken aback, and Lady Cirila gasped. "FAY!" She hissed. "Apologize, this very moment!" "No, no." Legolas interrupted, holding up his hand. "What I said COULD be subject for interpretation."  
  
"Nonetheless, what I said was rather rude and unnecessary. I apologize, my prince." I said, bowing my head.  
  
As I've told you before, I'm a very outspoken person. Being here, though, in this tranquil place, quieted me. So after a snapped out THAT quick remark, I couldn't help but smile at the 'old me' returning (If that makes any sense.).  
  
"Fay," Lady Cirila said, the more serious side of her showing through, "I fail to see what is so funny." "N-nothing, milady." "Hmmm..." Was the only answer I received. She gave me a speculating gaze, chin in her hand, and I couldn't help but squirm.  
  
Why was that? One of my favorite things to do was catch someone's eye, and then hold it, until they turned first. It gave me a sense of domination. Granted, some people would hold out longer than others would, but this was one of the few times when I didn't even want to RETURN eye contact, let alone have a staring contest.  
  
Legolas cleared his throat. "Right then- Miss Fay, would you be so kind as to accompany me for a walk through the garden?" He asked. I felt my heart skip a beat. ~No!~ I thought. ~Don't start acting like a silly schoolgirl!~ I commanded myself.  
  
Those girls who would walked through the halls and whispered and giggled incessantly always used to make me sick. I was always like ~If you're gonna talk about people, at least have the common courtesy to wait until they are AT LEAST on the OTHER side of the building.~  
  
Shaking my head slightly of these memories, I smiled and nodded at the prince. He held out his elbow, and I placed my hand on it. Wait, was Lady Cirila glowering at me!? Was she, the most feminine and proper of all the she-elves in Mirkwood, JEALOUS of ME!? This was NOT good. Basically, Lady Cirila was the only person I saw or talked to all day. If SHE hates my guts, then the next few days are gonna be MIGHTY interesting...  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ok. All for now. Thanx 4 readin'  
  
R & R!!!!!!!!!!  
  
~* Elfpilot *~ 


	5. The Ladies Imaya and Soaria

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DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING OF LORD OF THE RINGS (sadly)!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Me...bored...decided to write...  
  
ENJOY! REVIEW! ^^  
  
P.s. Sorry if it gets a little Mary-Sueish here. But really, could you ever go live in someone else's house and just sit around all day while they waited on you? A) That would get boring after a while. B) It would be extremely uncomfortable and REALLY rude (to me, anyway).  
  
No shoutouts today (  
  
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FAY'S P.O.V.  
  
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"Miss Fay, what did you say the name of your world was?" Legolas asked. "Earth, your highness." I answered. "JUST Earth?" He asked, puzzlement clear on his face. "Yes, your highness."  
  
He opened his mouth to reply, when someone called. "Your highness!" "Prince Legolas!" Two young elf maidens came running over.  
  
They were quite pretty. One had somewhat dark blond hair. It had streaks of brown in it- unusual (for a wood elf), but pretty nonetheless. A small gold circlet adorned her forehead and nicely complimented her golden dress and green eyes.  
  
The other she-elf had the natural blond (almost white) hair. She had on a shimmery green dress that looked almost transparent in the beautiful sunlight- which was bouncing radiantly off her hair. Her brown/ green eyes were jumping with joy as she gazed on the prince- her soft pink lips curved into a delicate smile.  
  
"Your highness." The brunette curtsied gently. Man, these two were the ultimate 'perfect princesses'. If you looked up gorgeous in the dictionary, there was their picture. I began to feel almost self-conscious when I silently compared my slightly freckled face with their perfect, creamy skin. I'd never given a thought to my freckles before, but I was beginning to feel out of place. Granted, freckles were considered beauty spots in Ireland (or so my Irish grandfather said), but that was probably because nearly everyone there had them! Plus, I wasn't in Ireland- far from it, in fact.  
  
"Lady Imaya! Lady Soaria!" Legolas smiled, bowing slightly. They giggled, and I arched my eyebrow. "How are you, fair maidens?" Legolas asked politely. They commenced to giggling once more. "Well, noble prince. And yourself?" "I am well, also." He answered. Then things were silent for a moment. "Are you so bored, dear prince, that you've taken to spending your time with servants?" Soaria, the blond, asked. I scowled, and she smirked. "Yes, your highness," Imaya piped up. "You really should have some fun. Would you care for dinner with my sister and I, this evening?" She asked.  
  
Ah, so they were sisters. "Excuse me, ladies, this is Miss Fay. Fay, these are the Ladies Imaya and Soaria." He said smoothly, pointedly ignoring Imaya's question. I curtsied. "Pleasure." I said simply. They nodded.  
  
Silence (again). "Well, your highness?" Soaria asked, going back to the dinner question. "I wish I could, ladies, but I am afraid that duty calls. Lord Ellesar and I are going hunting. Perhaps another time?" He asked. They looked crestfallen. "Oh, yes. Of course." "Well, if you'll excuse me, I must go prepare." He bowed again, and they curtsied. "Will I see you tomorrow morning, Miss Fay?" He asked, just before turning to go. "Uh, I suppose." "Good." He smiled, and set off.  
  
Imaya and Soaria waved pleasantly at his retreating back. The moment that he was out of sight, though, their faces changed almost immediantly. They looked at me sharply, disdain written on their lovely features. Oh, how unpleasant they looked then!  
  
"Tell us, Miss Fay," Imaya said, trying to keep the venom from rising in her voice. "What is tomorrow morning?" I arched my eyebrow further. "Your guess is as good as mine, ma'am." "Don't lie to us!" Soaria hissed. "You seem to be forgetting your place as servant!" "Hmm, seemingly." I replied. They scowled, shadows growing under their eyes. "You shall regret this day, maid." Imaya snapped. Then, they turned on their heel and began walking in the other direction- disgust in their step.  
  
I sighed, shaking my head, and turned back towardes my quarters.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
When I got back to my room, Tecka, a fellow maid, told me that the Lady Cirila had fallen ill and that I was to take the rest of the day off. "Thank you." I said, and threw off the maids' uniform. Quickly I reached into the drawers of my small cabinet and pulled out the clothes that I'd been wearing when I arrived in Middle Earth.  
  
They had been washed and mended for me by the Lady Lareea, and looked better than new. I was thrilled.  
  
The day passed slowly, and I decided on some sort of activity. When you fall off your horse, it's best to get back on, right (unless of course you're fatally injured)? Exactly.  
  
I made my way over to the stables and talked one of the servant boys into lending me a horse.  
  
I was given a brown mare with strawberry highlights in her blond mane. She was gorgeous, and reminded me of a rather large mare that I used to know named Spirit. Spirit had, well, spirit. She was the spunkiest, peppiest little horse I've ever met. Okay, mayebe not quite so little. She was also one of the biggest horses at Twin Willows. I had ridden her many times, and sometimes I did okay, and other times, well- somebody fed her too many sugar cubes...  
  
I had to specially request gear for this small, Middle Earth reincarnation of Spirit. Elves did not ride with tack. The boy nodded, extremely patient with me.  
  
Finally ready, I headed over to the small ring that was specially made for these practices. "Okay MoonBeam, ready?" I asked the horse (who had a TOTALLY unoriginal name, in my opinion). She snorted and stamped her hoof slightly. I laughed. "I'll take that as a yes."  
  
In one swift motion I hopped onto her back, and adjusted myself. "Walk." I commanded, kicking her VERY lightly. More of a tap really...Best not to KICK a horse until you know their personalties. Some don't mind it, and others go LIVID when they're kicked. Fortuantely for me, MoonBeam didn't seem to mind my heel brushing her side ever so slightly, and began to walk briskly forward.  
  
This small ride rejuvinated my spirits. That is, until, I received the horrible news.  
  
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kk, sory that this was SOOO short, but hey, at least I put it up!! ^^  
  
I should get the next one up soon. I dunno. I'm busier than a worker bee, lol  
  
~* ElfPilot *~ 


	6. Don't Quit your Day Job

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DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING OF LORD OF THE RINGS (sadly)! I don't own Beauty and the Beast, either.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
I just HAD to update!!  
  
Shoutouts---  
  
Mercury's Love-Your review, actually, was what forced me to update. Your prediction is so off that I almost flipped. Lol. I must set things straight before you get REALLY weird idea. Lol. Thanx for reviewing ^^  
  
Katherine-- Déjà vu? How so?  
  
Ievandie-- I'll TRY not to make this chap a cliffhanger, too ~.^  
  
To everyone who reviewed: THANK U!!!! ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^!!!!!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
FAY'S P.O.V  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
I noticed the letter sitting on my bed. Strange. Who would write a letter to ME, and why didn't they mail it? Does this place even have a mail system? No? Pony Express? Huh, guess not.  
  
I picked up the fancy envelope, and carefully pried open the seal. It read-- -  
  
  
  
Dear Fay,  
  
It had been decided that you are skilled enough to take a job as a full time maid. The  
  
Ladies Soaria and Imaya have graciously accepted you into their home, and cannot wait until  
  
you begin working for them.  
  
Good luck and congratulations!!  
  
--Lady Cirila  
  
  
  
I read the letter over and over again. Imaya and Soaria, GRACIOUSLY accept me into their house??? What a load of crap!! I was willing to bet any money that they had planned this little stunt, because there was no way in Middle Earth that I -of all people-was ready to be a full-time maid.  
  
Another servant came in and assisted me in packing my things and whatnot. She was blabbing on and on about what a great opportunity this as for me; all about how respected Imaya and Soaria were amongst society. I sighed. My first impression of them had not been quite as--- perfect.  
  
But Tecka-the maid-was going on and on about how great they were. She reminded me of the energizer bunny. She just kept going and going and going and going and going and, well, you get the point.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
The next morning, I stood on their doorstep with a small bag of my few belongings. I knocked two or three times on the door, and another maid opened it. "Oh!" She exclaimed. "You must be Miss Fay. Come in, come in!" She smiled widely, reminding me of my grandmother.  
  
She was short and stout (not unlike the little teapot) with grey hair done up in a bun-quite an unusual look for an elf. Speaking of tea, she reminded me of Mrs. Potts from Disney's Beauty and the Beast.  
  
The woman bustled about the room, straightening this and primping that. I stood there, clutching the handle on my bag as though it were a life support. "Here, deary, I'll show you to your room."  
  
She opened a closet door in the kitchen, and we descended down a set of stone stairs. There was a long hallway at the end, which she led me down. The only light was emitted from a few torches along the wall, and I briefly noticed a sign that read "Servant's Chamber".  
  
She opened the last door at the end of the hall, and I walked in. The room had a small window, a bed in the corner, and a chest of drawers with a mirror. "At least I'll get SOME sunlight in here." I grumbled, plopping my bag down onto my bed. "You may take today off, to get situated and whatnot. Tomorrow morning, I shall return and show you to your duties." The woman smiled. I looked at her. "Begging your pardon, but who are you EXACTLY?" I asked.  
  
She smiled. "Dear me! So sorry! I am Mrs. Isara RedRose. You may just call me Madam R, though. I am chief maid around here." She informed me, smiling warmly. "Yes. Okay. Thank you." I nodded, and she left, closing the door behind her.  
  
I sighed and glanced around the small, cramped room. Back on Earth, my room had been slightly larger, and had TWO windows. I love windows. Natural sunlight is the best light, in my opinion.  
  
I flopped onto the mattress beside my bag, and quickly fell asleep.  
  
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Sorry that this was soooooo short and boring. Don't worry. The excitement and horrors of Fay's new job are yet to come!!!! Pleez review!!  
  
~* ElfPilot *~ 


	7. After Sun Fun

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING OF LORD OF THE RINGS (sadly)! BUT I DO OWN FAY, THE LADIES IMAYA AND SOARIA, ISARA, TECKA AND OTHER CHARACTERS THAT ARE NOT J.R.R.TOLKIEN OR PETER JACKSON'S!!!! THANK YOU ^^  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Ria Fanel: Sarcastic humor good ~.^ BTW, thanx for reviewing nearly ever chapter on nearly ever fic! U're great!!  
  
Owyn: oh my, I'm a bit late. Sorry ( I've just been so LAZY!!! So sorry (  
  
BlackStarDust: I'll try to incorporate them into this chapter.  
  
Laicalasse: Thanx^^  
  
Ievandie: Don't worry, I never exclude him for long ~.^  
  
Mercury's Love: U should write a fic. I like your style ^^ Yeah, I'd say u've read a few Mary-Sue's (SOME aren't bad to read, but I HATE writing them ^^) Don't worry, Legolas IS going to frequent this. I just wanna lay down the basics first (I have a bad habit of doing that, LOL) Like I said to BlackStarDust, Gimli and Aragorn WILL be in this chap^^ OMG, gimli and Imaya?? AHHHH!! THE IMAGES!!! MY POOR VIRGIN MIND CAN'T HANDLE SUCH TOTURE!!! LOL, Thanx for the LONG review!!! ^^  
  
KK: Legolas seems popular ^^ LOL (of course he is, he's a HOT blond elf!! LOL) thanx so much for the great compliments!! I feel so loved!!!  
  
Esperanza Fuega: Thanx ^^ I'll have to try that ^^  
  
Sailor Kitsune: AHHHHH!! I ALREADY addressed that topic!!! AHHHHHHH!! Don't ya know that making my repeat myself is bad for my health!!?? LOL Repetition is bad!!! Hee hee  
  
Well, thanx everyone!! PLEEZ REVIEW!!!!!!!! ^^  
  
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FAY'S P.O.V.  
  
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"Fay! Miss Fay!" Someone was shaking me madly. "Huh? What? Where's the fire?" I mumbled groggily. "Miss Fay, it's me, Isara! You need to wake up, my dear! The Ladies Imaya and Soaria require council with you!" She exclaimed.  
  
I blinked and tried to adjust my eyes to the light. "And?" I grumbled. "Get up now!" She hissed, yanking the covers back. "Alright, alright, I'm up!" I muttered, turning and placing my feet on the floor. "Put this on." She instructed, tossing me my new uniform.  
  
It struck me in the face, because my eyes were still bleary, and I didn't catch it properly. "Hurry, hurry! Make haste! Make haste!" She ordered, bustling about the room. "Haste makes waste." I growled under my breath, standing up and crossing the room. I closed the door on her (rude I know, but hey! I'm NOT a morning person), and proceeded to dress.  
  
Finally, I was ready, and opened the door. Isara was waiting out in the hall for me. "Come ON!" She insisted, grabbing my wrist and pulling me along. "You make it seem like we'll be beheaded if we don't cater to their every exact whim." I murmured. "Close enough." She nodded. My eyes grew wide. "They can't behead us!" I exclaimed, suddenly feeling much more awake. "Of course not," Isara grunted. "Thought it'd probably be better than what they DO do." She added quietly.  
  
I shivered and decided not to find out the hard way what sort of punishments that my mistresses gave out.  
  
Isara finally stopped in front of a door. "Here we are!" She declared. "Prepare yourself." She instructed, straightening little things on my uniform. I brushed her hands away impatiently. "Alright, alright already." I snapped, and knocked on the door.  
  
"Come in!" Imaya called. I took a deep breath, and opened the door (Isara had slunk back around the corner like a dog with its tail between its legs by now).  
  
"Good mornin', miladies." I curtsied. They looked up from their stitching, and when they saw me, they exchanged devious smiles. "Good morning, Miss Fay. How was your first night here?" Imaya asked, twirling her brunette hair around her finger gently. They were acting as though we'd never had that less-than-civil discussion in the palace gardens the other day.  
  
"Very well, ma'am. How was your night?" I questioned. Maybe they'd forgotten about being rotten to me. The best thing for me to do, then, was be nice to them, too.  
  
"It could have been better, but there was a foul stench coming from the servant's chambers. Funny, we never had that problem before YOU came along." Soaria sneered, her pale pink lips curling.  
  
Ok, forget the respect theory. They knew who to suck up to, and whom they could get away with treating like dirt--- a.k.a: me. Fine, I'll just have to fight fire with fire.  
  
"Yes. I smelt that also. I believe it was the rotten stench of muck--- apparently, someone in this grand building has been doing a bit of brown- nosing." I smirked.  
  
They knew perfectly well that I was talking about them sucking up to the prince, and their faces burned red with anger. "Fay, such insolence will not be tolerated." Imaya scowled. "So sorry, mistress. I was merely observing a fact that you had pointed out." I curtsied again, and they knew that I was mocking them.  
  
"Hold your tongue girl!" Soaria snapped angrily. "Petty remarks are not what we summoned you for! Tonight, we are holding a ball. You are going to serve at this ball, and depending on how well you do, we shall either keep you as a maid, or fire you on the spot." She declared. Boy, she sure didn't beat around the bush.  
  
"Yes ma'am." I nodded. "Now go and help prepare the dinners in the kitchen. The celebration starts at sunset." Imaya ordered. "Yes ma'am, but one thing..." I added. "What is it?" Imaya asked stiffly. "What is the celebration for?" I questioned.  
  
"'Tis our birthday! Now get out of our sight before it is completely ruined!" Soaria replied angrily. "Yes ma'am." I curtsied and walked calmly out of the sitting room, closing the door behind me.  
  
Isara was waiting out in the hall. "Oh my, you know how to pick a fight with the worst sort!" She exclaimed worriedly, shaking her head to show her disparagement. I laughed slightly. "I've never been one to let people walk all over me. Well, except maybe my horse." I joked. She stopped walking, and turned to me, a horrified look on her face. "You let your horse walk on you!?"  
  
I laughed. "Oh goodness no. But apparently you don't know how I got here in Mirkwood." I asked. She shook her head no. "I fell off my horse and was unconscious, but Lords Aragorn and Gimli found me." I told her. Her jaw was on the floor by now. "No!" She whispered in disbelief. "Yep." I nodded solemnly. "What of your horse?" She asked. "Gone." I shrugged. "Well let's hope that no foul creature got to the poor dear." She added, picking up her pace again. I sighed. "Let's hope."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
I finally arrived in the kitchens (Imaya and Soria's home seemed to be almost as big as Legolas's castle. But then, why was I surprised? They WERE spoiled %^$*#!). Many other maids were already there, bustling about and hollering at one another. "No, no. Move that plate there!" "Good havens! Not parsley!! That dish needs broccoli!"  
  
"Excuse me!" Isara yelled. No one noticed. "Hello!" She tried again. Still no reaction. "QUIET!!!!!!" She roared. Everyone stopped exactly where they were, which was kind of funny because one maid had lunged across a table to catch something that had flown into the air. She was now lying on the table, trying to keep a good hold on the dish, which would fall any moment.  
  
"This here," She pushed me forward slightly. "Is a new member of our staff. Ladies, meet Fay. Fay, these are the other maids here." Isara introduced us. "Hello." I smiled. "Hello!" They all replied in a chorus. "Now I must be off attending other duties for the festivities tonight, I expect you ladies to make Fay welcome, and assign her a simple task as she is new." Isara announced, turning around and waddling out of the room.  
  
I watched her go, and then turned back to look at the other women. A few of them walked over, shook my hand, introduced themselves. There were too many of them for me to remember though, so I just smiled and nodded politely.  
  
Finally, I found someone who I knew I wouldn't forget easily. Her name was Andra, and she had a charming personality. "So glad that you've come to work with us!" She exclaimed. "I just LOVE meeting new people and having all sorts of new conversations while we work. Me mum always said that quality is better than quantity when it comes to people who you make friendships with, and just by looking at you I can see that you're right honorable indeed. I can see the fire in your eyes even as you do not a thing but stand here placidly. Ooh my, just realized that I've gone away with myself again! I have a bit of a tendency to run at the mouth..." She explained all this happily, and barely stopped for breath.  
  
I nodded, blinking in bewilderment. "Uh huh." I agreed, not really sure what I was relating to. "Well come on now. We mustn't stand here all day, dilly dallying!" She smiled, taking my wrist and pulling me along.  
  
She resembled your average elf. Pale complexion, light hair, blue eyes, tall, and regal. Her accent was lovely, and she was very cheery. Most elves were very quiet, and wise. She was purely chatty.  
  
I learned many things in those short few hours before the celebration. Elvish cooking, cleaning, courtesies, and all those other fancy shmancy words that begin with the letter 'c'.  
  
Andra was, as predicted, a great help. She stayed by my side most of the night and assisted me with anything and everything. Her chattiness didn't bother me. Actually, it was a good distraction from the boring chores that we were required to perform.  
  
"And this one time, Lady Imaya stepped on the Senator's robe, so that when he went to walk away, he fell flat on his face! Of course when he realized who had done it, he quickly dismissed the matter. But I tell you, had it been anyone but Imaya or Soaria, they'd have been thrown into the palace dungeons for months!" Andra exclaimed. "Did she do it on purpose?" I asked, taking a quick glance at Andra while sweeping. She shrugged. "I'm not sure. I think that her big feet just got in the way!" She laughed. I chuckled too. "They do have unusually large feet, don't they?" I laughed. "Biggest in all of Mirkwood!" Andra giggled, stirring the soup in the cauldron over the fireplace.  
  
"Oh, so YOU two are the ones doing all that ridiculous fooling." Said stern voice from the doorway. We both stopped and looked up--- straight at Isara. "H-Hello Lady RedRose." Andra stuttered, her expression clearly saying 'we're in deep shit now'. "YOU TWO.." Isara boomed..  
  
And then suddenly the hardness melted from her face, and she began laughing. "Fell for it so bad!" She chuckled. I smirked. She was only joking around (thank the Valar!).  
  
"The celebration's begun already, you know." She told us. "Yes we know." I nodded. "The giveaway was when all the other maids emptied out of the kitchen and never came back!" Andra laughed. Isara sighed, a small grin tugging at the corners of her lips. "Maybe that was the clue to get to work?" She suggested sarcastically.  
  
Andra sighed, took my broom, and put it away. "As soon as we finish this stew, we'll bring it out." She stated. "Excellent." Isara smiled. "Make sure there is enough for all of the guests to have seconds, if they want." She added. "Yes ma'am." I nodded. "Good." She grinned some more, and walked back out the door.  
  
"Boy, I thought we were really in trouble for a minute there." I chuckled. "Isara likes to fool people like that." Andra shrugged, pulling a loaf of bread out of their old-fashioned oven.  
  
It was a hole in the wall, with brick outlining. There was a small metal door underneath that you opened and threw coal into. This lit the fire, which cooked whatever food you put into the hole up top. It reminded me of the kind of ovens people used in colonial times.  
  
"Oh please," I scoffed. "She tricked you just as bad as she did me. I saw the look on your face!" I teased Andra. She laughed. "Oh that's nothing compared to some of the jests she's pulled! I remember this one time..."  
  
I sort of tuned Andra out from this point. It wasn't that all her talking annoyed me, oh no, I rather liked it; but I did need a SMALL break from it.  
  
I quietly hummed whatever tune popped into my head as I chopped up more vegetables for the stew.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"It's done!" Andra exclaimed after she tasted a small part of the stew. I pulled a clean spoon out of the drawer, and dipped it into the pot. I raised the hot liquid to my lips, and blew on it. When its temperature satisfied me, I tentatively placed it into my mouth.  
  
To say that it tasted good would be an understatement. It was DELICIOUS! The soup warmed me from the inside out, and I felt at home, peaceful. "I can't believe that I helped make this!" I exclaimed. Andra laughed. "Well believe it! Now come back to reality and help me pour it into these bowls."  
  
She lined them all up on the island in the middle of the room, and I went around with a large ladle. I spooned several cups into each dish. Finally, all were filled. We placed them on large trays, somehow managing to fit them all (and there was a LOT!).  
  
"How many people did those two invite?" I grumbled, carefully hefting the large tray onto my shoulder. Andra laughed. "Knowing them, all of Mirkwood." She estimated. "There's enough soup here to feed an army!" I declared. She chuckled more. "Just wait until you see the table." She replied.  
  
I kicked one of the swinging doors open, and we made our way into the dining hall.  
  
There were two LONG tables in the center of the grand room. There were easily one hundred people at each table. My jaw hung open as I marveled at everything. The dining room was exquisite. Three golden chandeliers hung in a straight line down the middle of the ceiling. There was much talking and chattering as distinguished guests and visitors gossiped over their meals.  
  
And there was a feast in the center of each table; more food than I would've thought it possible to make in a century!  
  
Andra nudged me with her toe. "Come on," She hissed. "We have to pass the soup out before it gets cold!" She ordered. "Right, right." I nodded. "You take that table, and I'll take this one." She motioned with her head. I nodded again, and we went out separate ways.  
  
Each person gave a small nod of gratitude as I set a bowl of stew down in front of them. Then they resumed their conversations with each other. I sighed and completed the whole left side of the table, my tray getting lighter and lighter.  
  
"Ah! Miss Fay, there you are! We've been looking for you all night." Exclaimed an overly cheery voice to my left. I looked over, and saw Imaya and Soaria sitting there. I inwardly groaned.  
  
"Oh, hello ma'am." I plastered a fake smile onto my face. "How are things going so far?" Soaria inquired. "Well. Thank you for your concern. Here's your soup!" I plopped the bowls down in front of them and moved on to the next person before they could say another word.  
  
Someone chuckled. I looked over and saw Prince Legolas. "Good evening, your highness." I curtsied happily (amazed that I didn't spill my tray)."Good evening, Lady Fay." He grinned. "Oh, MISS Fay, your highness. I am no noble." I corrected him. He laughed. "You know just as much as I do that you shouldn't have to work." Legolas gave a sympathetic smile. "I'm not MADE to, highness, I just like to." I grinned.  
  
He sighed, shaking his head. "I believe that you have met Lords Aragorn and Gimli already, yes?" He asked, gesturing to the two men across from him. I grinned as I noticed them. "Yes, the merry gentlemen who rescued me. I don't believe I ever had the chance to thank you." I smiled, setting the tray down and curtseying. They nodded. "Good to see you up and about, milady." Aragorn said politely and Gimli (who was eating a turkey leg at the moment) nodded his agreement. "Thank you, sir." I replied.  
  
Suddenly Andra was at my side. "Fay? What are you doing? Socializing? The ladies will throw a fit if they see you're not working..." She babbled on. I nudged her with my toe. "Your highness, Lords, this is my good friend, Andra. Andra, this is Prince Legolas, Lord Aragorn, and Lord Gimli." I introduced everyone.  
  
Andra's jaw hit the floor. "The the the p-prince!?" She gasped. I chuckled slightly, and pushed her mouth closed. "Yes. He and these two were kind enough to help me out when I first arrived here." I explained. Andra's mouth was wide with shock again, and she managed a feeble curtsey.  
  
"Well, like you said, Andra, we must be getting back to work now." I announced, then turned back to Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli. "Pleasure seeing you again. Have a pleasant evening." I bid them farewell. "You also." They nodded.  
  
I picked up my tray and pulled Andra down the rest of the table with me.  
  
Finally, everyone was served, and we headed back to the kitchens.  
  
As soon as the door shut behind us, Andra grasped my hands. "You know the prince!" She squealed. "You know the prince! You know the prince! You know the prince! YOU KNOW THE PRINCE!!" She sang, dancing me around the room.  
  
I laughed and shook my hands from hers. "Really now, Andra. It's not that big a deal. It's just another person." I sighed. "Just another person? JUST another person? Fay, he's the PRINCE!" She squeaked, bouncing up and down.  
  
"Alright, alright, alright." I shook my hands, trying to calm her down.  
  
Suddenly, an excessively large grin spread over her face. "What?" I inquired. "WHAT!?"  
  
"After we clean off the table, we servants are allowed to attend the party!" She exclaimed. "So?" I asked, an eyebrow raised. "So you can introduce me to the prince again!" She declared, turning around in happy circles. "Andra, I hate to break it to you, but I highly doubt that I'll be attending the party." I said, putting my tray in the sink. "Why!?" Her face fell.  
  
I sighed. "Didn't you see those elves out there? They were gorgeous! Their dresses were beautiful! I could never fit into that crowd. You should still go if you want to, though." I muttered. "I'm not going anywhere without you." She said stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest. "Besides, I think I know what you can wear..."  
  
~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~  
  
A short time later, the feast ended, and the music started up. People abandoned the long tables, and instead turned towards the ballroom floor. The other servants and I cleared away everything on the tables, and pushed them to the sides of the hall. This left the middle of the room clear for dancing.  
  
I had just dumped a stack of dirty dishes in a tub of others, when Andra grabbed my arm. "Come on!" She hissed. "What?" I demanded. "Our job is done. The other maids actually have to wash the dishes. We can go to the party!" She grinned.  
  
"Andra," I sighed. "I really don't think I want to go to any party being held by Imaya or Soaria." I stated. "Oh nonsense. We can easily avoid them. Please, please, PLEASE." She asked, making a pouty bottom lip. I sighed. "Fine."  
  
"YEAH!!" She squealed, grabbing my wrist and hauling me down the servants' stairs towards her quarters.  
  
~+~+~+~+~+~+~  
  
A short time later, I was clad in a flowing gown. It was slightly transparent, but you couldn't see anything underneath it. I especially liked it because one minute, it was pure white. But when I turned, it tinted baby blue. Odd, I never used to like dresses...  
  
Andra's was similar, only hers was tinted pink.  
  
"Come on, let's go!" She exclaimed excitedly. She grabbed my wrist once more, and we raced back up the stairs. "I'm still not sure..." I muttered. "You're being silly! Stop it!" She giggled. I sighed and let her lead me.  
  
When we reached the room again, most of the elves were coupled up and dancing. Andra's eyes glazed over. "Aw, it's so sweet!" She sighed dreamily. I sighed too, exasperated, and shook my head. "You're a nut." I muttered. She grinned. "True."  
  
"Excuse me," Someone said from behind us. We both turned and looked. A handsome elf stood there. "Adrus!" Andra exclaimed. Apparently, she knew him. "May I have this dance, milady?" Adrus asked. Blushing, Andra nodded vigorously. Adrus took her hand and swirled her out onto the floor.  
  
Sighing for about the millionth time that night, I pulled a chair away from one of the tables, and planted myself in it. I made sure that it was positioned in a spot that I could see everyone else, but they wouldn't notice me.  
  
But as fate would have it, my plans never work. A short little someone came waddling over just a few minutes later. "What are ya doin' hidin' back here, lass!?" He exclaimed. I did a double take, and realized that it was Gimli. "Oh, hello Lord Gimli." I nodded. "Care to have a seat?" I asked, motioning towards the chairs beside me. "Naw," He shook his head. "They're too tall. It's too much work to get in and and out of 'em." He explained. I laughed. I had never thought of that before.  
  
"You never answered my question." He pointed out. "Which one was that, milord?" I quipped. "What are you hiding back here for?" He repeated. "Lack of anything better to do." I laughed. "Well, since you have nothin' to do, and have naught to do either, mayhaps we should do nothing together." He chuckled. I smiled. "Sure. Actually, we could dance." I pointed out.  
  
His eyes grew wide. "You jest!" He exclaimed. "Never!" I gasped. He eyed me speculatively. "Why?" He asked. "As a thank you for rescuing me." I answered. He looked at his boots, deep in thought. "Alright!" He agreed finally.  
  
Grinning, I stood and we made our way onto the dance floor. "I must warn ya lass, I'm not much fond of this Elvish dancing." He growled. I laughed again. "Nor I! We shall be bad together then!" I cheered him. He let out a low laugh. "Alright!"  
  
And speaking of low, he had to place his hands on my hips, and tilt his head back to stare at me. I didn't tell him, but I was actually sort of crouching (to reach his shoulders) while we danced.  
  
I've always been slightly tall. Not by much, though, just one or two inches above everyone else. However, in those moments, those inches felt like feet. Several people pointed and laughed as they swirled by us, and I was tempted to flip them off. But when I remembered that my career was at stake, I gripped Gimli's shoulders harder and refused the urge.  
  
We danced two songs before I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see Aragorn standing there. "This is amusing." He smiled warmly. Gimli shoved me towards him slightly. "Aragorn! You dance with the lass! Not offense to her, but I'm getting a crick in the neck!" He exclaimed. I laughed and curtsied. "It was a pleasure, Lord Gimli. No offense taken." He bowed back, and made his way over to the chairs again.  
  
"I take it that I have a new partner." Aragorn chuckled. I laughed slightly too. "Not if you don't want one." I informed him. "No no," He insisted. "We will dance."  
  
Right then, a new tune struck. It was merry and moved quickly. Aragorn obviously had danced to it before, because next thing that I knew, I was swirled, twirled, and dizzy. I laughed though, and he smiled. I had to admit, it WAS great fun.  
  
Finally though, I got a break before the song ended. "Ooh my, that was quick." I said, breathing hard. He smiled. "I shall escort you back to your seat if you are tired." He offered. "Yes, please." I accepted.  
  
We walked across the room again. "Thank you, Lord Aragorn." I curtsied and he bowed. Then he walked off once more, and I plopped down next to Lord Gimli, still panting. "Hmm, I've always heard that Aragorn knew how to take a girl's breath away, but now I know it true." He remarked. I glanced at him for a moment, wondering what he was talking about, but then I realized that I was still breathing heavily. I let out a laugh. "That was a very fast dance." I explained. He smirked. "Surrrre..."  
  
Grinning in a silly way, I walked over to one of the tables and got a cup of water for Lord Gimli and I. A few songs passed, as we drank the water in silence. I noticed that Andra was still having a good time with Address, er Adrus (him name sound too much like 'address'!).  
  
I had been staring at my shoes, when I noticed another pair of feet that weren't Gimli's or mine. I slowly let my eyes roam up from the feet. Slender, muscled legs, lean, chiseled torso, hard arms, lovely blond hair, a fair face, and...oh! Those gorgeous blue eyes! It was Legolas, without a doubt.  
  
"Ah! Master Elf! I've been wondering where you'd gotten to!" Gimli smiled. "Hello Gimli, Lady Fay." He greeted. I blushed. "MISS Fay, your highness." I corrected him again. He chuckled and sat in the other chair. "Ah, yes. I still think that you should be a lady, though." He laughed. "Proper protocol thinks otherwise." I replied. "Proper protocol, hmm? I'll make you a deal then. If you just call me Legolas, I shall just call you Fay." He offered. I thought it over. "No one would be offended?" I asked, checking. "No. Why should they be?" He answered. I shrugged. "Alright then. We have a deal." I extended my hand for him to shake on it, but he kissed it instead.  
  
Going slightly pink again, I pulled it back and sank a little lower into my seat.  
  
He and Gimli started talking, while my thoughts wandered. Since when had I taken to blushing so much? It was an action that I used to despise. And well, let's face it; my vocabulary has greatly improved as well. I hardly ever say 'ain't' anymore, and I actually put the letter 'g' at the end of my verbs (ex: I used to say 'thinkin', but now I say 'thinking'). These elves were getting to me already! I hoped that I was sticking my pinky out when I ate...  
  
"La- er, Fay?" Someone's voice called me back to the present. It was Legolas, and I chuckled at the fact that he'd almost called me 'lady' again. "Yes?" I responded. "I noticed you dancing with Aragorn and Gimli," He started. "Yes..." I nodded. "Why haven't WE danced?" He asked, smirking slightly.  
  
I felt my face get hot AGAIN, but I forced it down. No more blushing! "You never asked." I cleverly replied. He laughed and stood up. "Alright. Fay, may I have the honor of the dance?" He was bowing somewhat, with his hand extended. I smiled (fighting ANOTHER blush!!) and nodded.  
  
"Go on! Get outta here!" Gimli laughed, playfully shooing us onto the dance floor.  
  
It was a slow and sweet dance. "Like this." Legolas instructed me. He placed one of my hands in his, with my other hand holding up my dress. His remaining hand clasped gently around my waist. The torches had somehow magically dimmed, and the other pairs of dancers began to sway.  
  
Grinning, he set the pace and steps. I simply followed his lead. "This is nice." I murmured. "You sound surprised." He laughed gently. "Well, I've only slow danced with one person before..." I explained. "Tell me about it." He pressed. "Well, I'm 15 now, so that was," I paused to count the years. "Four years ago." I concluded, shuddering. Was it really that long ago?  
  
"Fifteen? You seem much older." Legolas gasped. "Hey!" I exclaimed. "No, no! I meant no offense! You LOOK young, but you ACT very mature." He quickly covered his mistake. I laughed slightly. "Surrre..." I teased him. "Really!" He persisted. "I know. I'm just taunting you." I explained. "Oh, okay." He visibly relaxed. "Continue." He ordered politely.  
  
"Well, like I said, I was very young and foolish. I thought I knew everything, but OH NO! I just let him get the better of me!" I exclaimed. "How?" He asked, eyebrows crossing. "He sort of played me." I sighed. "He SAID he liked me, but after the dance, he dropped me for some other girl. Apparently, he was only using me to make her jealous. It worked." I recalled the awful memory. Funny, I'd never gone out again after that...  
  
"Well, you ARE someone who is easy to be jealous of." He replied, trying to cheer me. I smiled at him. "Thank you." I grinned. He shrugged. "It's true." He insisted. I looked down, trying not to blush again.  
  
"You're very nic---" I was cut mid-sentence as the song ended and someone came bounding over to Legolas. I was about to say 'nice', but the other person cut me off. It was Imaya. She practically threw herself between Legolas and I. He was obviously just as surprised as I was.  
  
"Your highness! I've been looking ALL over for you!" She smiled, pasting that horrible fake smile on her lips. I could've hurled. Apparently, so could've Legolas, as his lips were stretched unhappily over his teeth in a mock smile.  
  
Imaya was fondling him and batting her eyes like a nut. The next song started, and she began to lead him in a dance. He briefly flashed me an expression that said 'sorry!', and I stormed off. The party had been fun for a little while, but as usual, Imaya and Soaria spoiled everything.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
REVIEWS GREATLY WELCOME!!! ^^  
  
Sorry that it took so long to get this up!! REVIEW ARE STILL WELCOME! Heh heh  
  
~* ElfPilot *~ 


	8. Foreshadowing Despair

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING OF LORD OF THE RINGS (sadly)! BUT I DO OWN FAY, THE LADIES IMAYA AND SOARIA, ISARA, TECKA AND OTHER CHARACTERS THAT ARE NOT J.R.R.TOLKIEN OR PETER JACKSON'S!!!! THANK YOU ^^  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
BTW, anything surround by little swirlys (Ex: ~la la la~) is Elvish ^^  
  
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Ievandie: Don't worry, soon ^^  
  
BlackStarDust: Yeah, that was pretty funny to write.  
  
Laicalasse: Thanx. As much as we all hate Imaya and Soaria, they are imperative to the plot (oh well, at least they're good for SOMETHING, lol)  
  
Siren: Thanx so much ^^ You kick big ass (  
  
Mercury's Love: Long chapter? Long review!! Despite that fact that all your picking (at the chapter, that is) got me a little upset (ok, a lot upset) I'm not mad. It's not like you were flaming, and plus, u have a right to your opinion. So please, just go easy on me, k?  
  
KK, thanx all! Review review review!! I wanna reach 100 ^^  
  
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Fay's P.O,V,  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Damn Imaya and Soaria! Damn them to hell! I absolutely hate them!! And I hate my damn pride, too!  
  
After the party, and the way Imaya shoved between Legolas and I, I had raced back to my room. I slammed the door, locked it, and flopped down on my bed. Crying would have made me feel SO much better, but damn my pride! I couldn't let myself do it! My lip trembled, my heart raced, my eyes got moist-but I couldn't let the tears fall. I pleaded with myself,  
  
'Cry, Fay, just cry!'  
  
And then I felt all the worse for talking to myself. Still, I wouldn't do it.  
  
Andra knocked on my door. "Fay!" She called cheerily. "Go away." I mumbled. There was a pause on the other side of the door. "Fay, what's wrong?" She asked tenderly, like a loving mother would. "I'm not a morning person." I growled. There was another hesitant silence. "Please, Fay, what ails you?" She inquired. "Besides my reflection, nothing." I muttered sourly. "Your reflection?" She repeated, puzzled. "Yes!" I snapped irritably.  
  
She sighed. "Come on Fay, the mistresses require council with you." She informed me. "Well that's too damn bad for them. I'm going nowhere." I grumbled. "Fay, will you at least unlock the door so that we may speak face to face? I believe everyone on the grounds can hear the conversation that we're having through your door." She pointed out. "Let them listen!" I hissed.  
  
"Really, Fay. What's the matter? Please come out." She asked again. I could hear the patience in her voice fading. Still, I resisted. "I'm not coming out! No way, no how!" I barked. "Don't be silly," She laughed. But it was a nervous laugh. She was trying to disguise the worry rising in her voice. "Of course you're coming out." She stated. She was trying to assure herself, more than she was me. "You can think that all you want, but it doesn't make it true." I muttered. "Fay! This is becoming childish! Stop it!" Andra begged me. She rapped on the door with her knuckles to get my attention.  
  
I felt sorry for her, sorry that I was putting her through this. Afterall, she hadn't done anything.  
  
She continued to pound on my door. She was on the brink of delirium; I could hear the hysterics in her tone. "Please, please come out, Fay. You must meet with the ladies!" She persisted. "If I do, I can assure you that at least one of them will have a black eye!" I snapped.  
  
I can't ever keep my anger in check. It simmers in my veins like a fire, boiling my blood. All that I can see is red. I've made myself bleed a few times, too. Once, I got so mad, I just kept hitting the wall, picturing the person's face. My friend saw me, though, and grabbed my wrists. They were bloody, mangled, and had to be bandaged for a week.  
  
"Fay, you're going to be fired if you don't meet with them!" She insisted. "Who cares!!?" I'd shouted. There was a pause. "I do, Fay! We've just gotten to be friends, I don't want to lose you now!"  
  
I felt bad again. I knew that being fired wasn't an option. For one thing, Andra would be hurt beyond words. I could never pain any of my friends like that-never!  
  
For another thing, being fired would leave me broke and homeless. I would be a mere nobody on the streets. Why wouldn't I go back to the palace, you ask? Why wouldn't I ask Legolas to take me in, you wonder?  
  
Seems logical, I know. But pride has control of me again! I am but a puppet on strings in Pride's clutches. After all the commotion that I've made about being independent, and not wanting to burden Legolas or anyone else in the palace, it would be SOO hypocritical for me to show up on his doorstep. I would be going against everything I'd ranted about for ages.  
  
And besides, I would feel like a failure. Like one of those cheesy princesses that you read about. One who needs a knight in shining armor to save her.....  
  
I am no princess. I am nobody. My hair, eyes, skin, and height make me blend in with everyone else here. You would never be able to pick me out of a crowd of elves. I hate my body, and the whole way that I look. I think I'm fat, and everything I wear shows it. I am no one special.  
  
Andra's voice dragged me from my thoughts again. She was in tears, now. "Please, Fay! You'll be fired! I beg of you, meet with the ladies!!"  
  
Sighing, I got off the bed. I glanced in the mirror quickly. My face was gaunt, and purple circles bagged under my eyes. I was pale (what else is new?), but my skin also held a strange tinge that was only there when I was sick. It was a mix of feverish red and nauseating green.  
  
Sighing and reminding myself that I was still ugly, I opened the door.  
  
Andra practically threw herself on me. "Praise be to the Valar!" She cried. Then she pulled back and eyed me. "By Elbereth, it look as though you've met with death himself!" She exclaimed. I groaned. "I know, I know. It's nothing different than usual, Andra. I always look like hell. Please don't remind me."  
  
Concern clouded her eyes as I said this. "What do you mean that you always look bad?" She questioned. "I'm detestable!" I yelled. Her eyes went wide. "Whenever did you come up with such a ridiculous idea?" She demanded.  
  
I'd glanced at her, and looked away. "It's not important. I have to go and see the mistresses now." I changed the subject, slipping from her grasp. I could feel the worry roll off her in waves and crash at my back. She knew that I was in a foul mood, but my comment about being ugly threw her off.  
  
I reached the study of the sister Satans. I knocked once, and went in.  
  
"Ah! Fay! About time you showed up!" Imaya sneered. I sighed and curtsied. "Good morning, mistresses." I nodded. Soaria wrinkled her nose. "Did you sleep with the pigs? You look even worse than usual." She commented. "If that's possible." Imaya added dryly. I sighed again. "No ma'am. What was it that you needed me for?" I questioned, changing the subject.  
  
"I'm going to cut right to the chase." Imaya declared. "What WERE you doing, dancing with Prince Legolas at OUR party last night?" She demanded. I rolled my eyes. "Dancing, ma'am." I replied. Soaria scowled angrily. "Don't be pert, you insufferable wench! Be grateful that we don't toss you to the street!" She hollered, objects on the shelves shaking.  
  
"Yes ma'am." I nodded, my voice monotone. "From hence forth, you are forbidden to attend any of our parties, do you hear me?" Imaya stated. "Yes ma'am." I nodded again, my face void of any emotion.  
  
"Good. Now go get on with your chores." She ordered, waving me out the door. "Yes ma'am." I curtsied and headed for the door, thanking God that the meeting was so short. I spoke too soon.  
  
"And Fay," Imaya called out sharply, just as I reached the doorknob. I grimaced, and turned to face them once more. "Yes?" I put on my best 'ignorant and innocent' face.  
  
"You'd be best to stay away from the prince from now on." She warned. "Yes. The Prince doesn't want to be burdened with servant scum such as yourself." Soaria piped up. "Okay." I shrugged nonchalantly, and left. Ire was clouding my heart, but I forced it to stay in check. I would not let them get to me. I would not let them get to me. I WOULD NOT LET THEM GET TO ME! I would not sink to their level. I would not lower myself to their standards. They are below me.  
  
I turned the corner, and found Andra waiting for me. "Well, how did it go?" She asked. I shrugged. "Fine. I am not allowed at any of their parties anymore." I announced. She gasped. "Why ever not?" She asked, eyes wide. I shrugged again. "Not sure. I wasn't really listening."  
  
"Are you all right?" Andra questioned, lying her hand on my shoulder. I nodded. "Peachy. Why?" I replied. She eyed me skeptically, the shook her head, as though clearing thoughts. "Grab a cloak, we have market duties this morning." She informed me, changing the subject. I nodded. "Alright."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
A short time later, we were wandering around a quaint village in Mirkwood. There were several little wooden stands, all advertising some product or another. Elves everywhere were shouting and hollering, trying to get attention from possible customers.  
  
Andra and I just strolled, sometimes glancing at things that looked interesting. We were silent until she asked, "This morning, why did you say that you were atrocious?" She questioned suddenly.  
  
I paused. "I don't know. I'm sorry. I suppose that I was just angry." I explained.  
  
I knew that that reason was only half-true. For some time now. I had been feeling self-conscious when I looked into the mirror. Clothes didn't seem to fall right, and 'highlight my feminine curves' like they were supposed to. At first, I dismissed it as another one of those phases that teens go through.  
  
But then it began to weigh more heavily on my mind. I decided that the idea was the product of reading too many cheesy romance novels, where the heroine was immaculately, flawlessly, beautiful. But now, now that I was among elves, uncertainty was rearing its ugly head.  
  
When first I fell into Middle-Earth, I would simply gaze at the elves and think "God they're gorgeous...wait! Of course they are, they're elves!" And then I began comparing my looks to the maidens (A/N: You'll notice that she DOES compare herself with Imaya and Soaria when she first meets them in ch. 5, in like the 5th paragraph down).  
  
But after last night, my subconscious was telling me that I wasn't good enough. Yes, that's right, even my subconscious was pitted against me.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
DREAM  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Legolas and I were dancing. We were in a ballroom. No...wait. Not a ballroom; we were in a fantasy place. Everything was light and breezy, cheery and glittery. It was so perfect, it was unreal.  
  
He smiled down at me, and I smiled back. His arms were so warm, I thought I'd melt.  
  
Then, the ground started to shake, and crack. It split wide open between the feet of Legolas and I. We were pulled apart. I reached for him, but he didn't seem distressed. In fact, he appeared more than happy--- dancing with Imaya and Soaria. They had come from practically nowhere, and were shooting me smug looks.  
  
"Legolas! Why!?" I yelled. Everything around me was wilting and dying. But everything near Legolas was still perfect, gorgeous. "Can't you see, Fay?" He scoffed. "They are so much better than you! You could never compare to them!" He motioned towards the ladies. "Absolutely!" Nodded Imaya. "Now why don't you go and finish cleaning the mud off our shoes?" Soaria smirked as she threw an arm around Legolas, who happily placed an arm around her waist.  
  
And they all began laughing as the darkness closed in on me. It swallowed me, as I lay curled up on the ground.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
END OF DREAM  
  
~*~*~*~*~*  
  
It was at that moment that I'd woken up. I knew that this whole self- conscious thing wasn't just a phase anymore.  
  
All my anger at Imaya from last night was triggering it into a full-blown problem. Little did I know how much of a problem it would turn out to be...  
  
"Fay? Fay!? Are you all right!?" Andra shook me. "Huh? What? Oh, yeah. I'm fine, Andra." I nodded. She let go of my shoulders. People walking by were casting us odd looks, but Andra obviously didn't care. "Fay, you're really beginning to scare me! What's happened? What's wrong?" She questioned, worry lines forming on her brow.  
  
My eyebrow rose. "What are you talking about?" I asked. She sighed. "Fay, I couldn't find you at the party last night, and had to ask everyone where you went. I finally found you in your room, still fully clothed, asleep on your bed," " I was tired!" I interrupted. She scowled and I piped down.  
  
"Then," She continued. "I go to get you up this morning, and your door's locked. After nearly an hour of begging and pleading, you finally come out. You are in a complete state of disarray, and when I ask you why, you go off on a whole ranting about how ugly you are. Then, you just stood there while Imaya and Soaria insulted you, and now you're asking me why I think you're not well." She finished, exasperated.  
  
"So?" I mumbled. "UH!" She threw her hands up in defeat. "I give in! Whatever the problem is, you're obviously NOT going to discuss it, and I, for one, am not going to waste my whole day begging you!" She snapped, finally at the breaking point.  
  
I stood there, silent. I stared at my boots, which suddenly seemed very interesting. "Sorry." I apologized. She sighed, getting herself under control once more, and glaring at curious onlookers whom had heard her sudden outburst. They scurried away from her gaze, and continued with what they had been doing.  
  
She turned her attention back to me. "It's okay. I'm just...concerned for you. You're like a sister to me. My ~onoone~." She cooed in Elvish. "What does that mean?" I questioned. "Blood-kin." She replied. "And that's Sindarin?" I questioned.  
  
We were strolling through the market again. "No. That's Quenya. The Sindarin word for 'sister' is ~ser'noth~, but I like ~onoone~ better. It's so much prettier, and so much deeper." She grinned. I smiled. "~Onoone~..." The word rolled off my tongue smoothly. I paused.  
  
"Andra, how can you consider me to be your blood-kin, if we are not related?" I questioned. She grinned. "Would you like to be?" She smirked. My eyebrows crossed with puzzlement. "How?" I inquired.  
  
Grinning, she pulled me into a discreet ally. "We can share blood." She whispered. My eyes went wide. "What? How?"  
  
She chuckled at my questions, and produced a very small dagger from her basket. She held out her finger, and gently pricked the tip of it with her dagger. Smiling, I held out my finger as well. The small steel blade pinched it. "Now..." She took my finger, and pressed mine to hers. The ruby droplets mingled, and were as one for those brief moments.  
  
I watched in awe, and a warm feeling flooded me. She pulled away. "Not so hard, hmm ~onoone~?" She smiled. "No." I grinned.  
  
We began walking through the marketplace again. The dagger was once more tucked under the bundles of Andra's basket. "You know," She smiled. "Now that we are ~ser'noths~," "Sisters." I interrupted, translating. She grinned. "Yes, sisters. We should give you an Elvish name." She declared. I paused. "Really? That would be so cool!" I exclaimed.  
  
She frowned. "Cool? Why would it be cold?" She questioned. I laughed. "Cool is slang for neat or great or interesting." I explained. "Oh." She nodded. "What are you going to name me!?" I inquired happily.  
  
She pursed her lips, and her hand rose to meet her chin. She was thinking, watching her feet as we walked. "Ellewen!" She declared finally.  
  
"Ellewen..." I let the name roll off my tongue slowly. "How lovely. I like it." I agreed. She grinned. "Good. And now, my dear Ellewen, we ~onoone~ must select fresh fruits for the kitchen." She grinned, glancing at a small stand with apples and other Middle-earthen fruits that I couldn't recognize.  
  
"Just pick the ones with the least amount of brown spots." Andra instructed. "Yes ~ser'noth~." I nodded. She glanced at me, and we began giggling.  
  
The elf running the stand glanced at us curiously. "Sister?" he repeated. "You two are sisters?" He questioned. We glanced at each other, and began giggling again. "We'll take these." Andra declared, placing a pile of pear- like fruits in front of the clerk. "Alright." He stated the price, which was paid, and we began walking through the marketplace once more.  
  
"Andra, now that we are sisters," I started, but stopped, hesitating. "Go on." She urged. "I would like to talk to you about this morning." I stated. She smiled. "Certainly."  
  
I took a deep breath. "Andra...do you think I'm overweight, or , or ugly, even?" I questioned, stammering. Her eyes went wide. "Is that what this is about? You think you're ugly?" She realized. "Well, sorta." I replied timidly. "Oh, Ellewen..." She murmured comfortingly, enveloping me in a hug.  
  
"Why do you think that?" She questioned, stepping back slightly, and looking me in the eye. "All you Elves are so beautiful, and I...I am an imposter." I muttered. "I could never compare to any of you." I sighed, and slumped against a nearby wall.  
  
"Fay, you know that's not true! You're lovely! Why, just last night, in that gown-oh! You were exquisite! A sheer image of beauty!" She assured me, a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Andra, that was a BALL." I growled. "So?" She asked. "EVERYONE looks good at a ball! I mean, did you see some of them? They were perfect, Andra, =perfect=!!" I snapped.  
  
She sighed. "Ellewen...."  
  
"Greetings!" Someone called. The two of us looked up and saw Aragorn and Gimli standing there. Nobody said anything. "Did we interrupt something?" Aragorn questioned. "Well Fay was just saying..." Andra started, but I slapped a hand over her mouth. "~Ser'noth~!" I hissed. She grinned sheepishly. "Nope. Nothing interesting happening here." She grinned at them.  
  
They glanced at us skeptically, but shrugged it off. "So what are you ladies up to?" Gimli asked. "Shopping." I answered. Gimli snorted. "Why do you women love to spend money so much?" He muttered. Andra and I glanced at each other, and began laughing again.  
  
Gimli clapped his hands over his ears. "And giggling!" He bellowed. "All you females do is shop and giggle!" He exclaimed unhappily. I clapped him on the back. "So sorry, Master Dwarf. We will cease." I announced. "Good." He nodded.  
  
"So what are YOU two doing out and about?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow at them. "We were headed to the main gates to meet some friends of ours." Aragorn informed me. "Really? Anyone I know?" I asked. Gimli shrugged. "Unless you know Gandalf the White Wizard, and a handful of Hobbits, I doubt it." He replied.  
  
"Hobbits?" Andra spoke up. "You mean the halflings?" She questioned. Aragorn nodded.  
  
I, personally, was thinking back to the books, and realized that the whole fellowship was coming together for a reunion (minus Boromir, of course). "Having a get-together are we?" I smirked. "Yes. They're coming to celebrate Legolas's birthday." Aragorn nodded.  
  
"I thought that was a while ago." I frowned in confusion. "It was. But they didn't receive word of it until recently." He explained. I nodded.  
  
"You should come and meet them!" Gimli declared suddenly. Andra's eyes got wide. "Meet the rest of the fellowship!" She breathed in excited anticipation. "We should, Ellewen, we really should go!" She smiled, shaking my arm.  
  
"Who's Ellewen?" Aragorn inquired. "Me. Andra and I are now ~onoone~, so she has given me an Elvish name." I answered. "What is ~onoone~?" Gimli asked. "Blood-kin." Strider replied. I nodded. "Quite the pact." He observed. "Yes." I agreed.  
  
"Nevermind all that blood rubbish!" Gimli hollered. "We must go meet the hobbits!" He stamped his feet impatiently. "Yes, yes! Come on, Ellewen, let's go, ~ser'noth~!" Andra cried.  
  
I wanted to go, I really did. The hobbits seemed absolutely adorable. But yet, some part of me resisted.  
  
"I don't know, ~onoone~," I puzzled. "What time are we expected back?" I questioned. "We have as long as we need to shop!" She replied hastily. I wasn't sure I believed that. It seemed WAY out of character for Imaya or Soaria to let any of their maids wander through the market all day.  
  
"The elf will be there!" Gimli urged, wiggling his eyebrows up and down. I laughed at his antics. But that was all he had to say. Now that I knew that Legolas would be there, I REALLY didn't want to go.  
  
"No, no. You should go Andra. I'm afraid that I don't feel well, of a sudden. Will I meet you back in quarters?" I asked. She frowned. "You are unwell?" She repeated. "Does it have anything to do with...this morning?" She questioned, glancing at a curious Aragorn and Gimli.  
  
"No, no, no. Okay, well, a little...yes. " I stuttered. She sighed. "Come, Ellewen. We shall return home then." She sighed again, taking a hold of my arm in a motherly fashion.  
  
"Are you all right?" Aragorn asked, searching my face for some sign. "Yes, I'm sure that I'll be fine." I nodded. "As you wish. We shall tell Master Elf that you wanted to come, but are indisposed." Gimli announced.  
  
"Thank you. Hope to see you all later!" I waved, and Andra and I walked off. I hoped they didn't suspect anything.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
ARAGORN'S P.O.V.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
I suspected something. Last night, I'd watched Legolas and Fay dance. I could see a passion between them. Fay had gazed at Legolas as though he was a god, and someone to be both feared and adored.  
  
Legolas had returned her gaze, seeing her as a lovely maiden whom he should definitely keep an eye on.  
  
Fay blushed whenever Legolas was near, and he smiled a lot. He also got somewhat chatty, which was unusual for my timid elf friend.  
  
Fay seemed to be adjusting well to life in Mirkwood. She was obviously a very close friend with that she-elf, Andra. They had only known each other a short time, and yet already they were bound in blood. Andra even gave Fay an Elvsih name, I recalled.  
  
What was it? Elliwer? Ellaner? No, no. It was Ellewen. Yes that was it. Actually, that was a nice Elvish name.  
  
I remember when I'd gotten mine. Ellessar. What a memorable moment.  
  
Andra and 'Ellewen' kept calling each other ~ser'noth~, which was Sindarin for 'sister', and ~onoone~, which was Quenya for 'blood-kin'. Yes, they were indeed close.  
  
This was also obvious when they began hinting at something that happened that morning. As soon as Fay, or, erm *cough 'Ellewen', mentioned it, Andra became worried. I couldn't help but wonder what it was. Both were quite shaken up about it, I could see.  
  
Also strange was that, when Gimli mentioned Legolas, I saw something in Fay's eyes that was quite out of place. Fear, anxiety, dread. Was she scared of Legolas? Why? Perhaps he had something to do with whatever had happened that morning? I could only wonder.  
  
Gimli (who babbled incessantly) and I finally reached the front gates of Mirkwood. Legolas was already waiting. "There you are!" He exclaimed. "Wherever have you been?" He questioned. "We were delayed by that lass you're partial to. She and her friend were in the marketplace." Gimli replied.  
  
"Lass that I'm partial to?" Legolas repeated, puzzled. "Who is that?" He asked. "That girl! Oh what's her name..." Gimli shook his head, frustrated. "Which one?" I muttered. "She has two names now." pointed out. "Two names?" Legolas's eyebrows rose with confusion. "What ARE you two talking about?" He inquired.  
  
"We saw Fay and Andra in the market." I answered. "Oh." The look didn't fade. "What's wrong?" I questioned. "Who has two names?" He asked. "Oh, that." I nodded. "Andra gave Fay an elvish name." I explained. "What was it? Why did she do that?" He pressed. "The name was Ellewen. She gave it to her because they mixed their blood and are now blood sisters."  
  
"Ellewen..." He marveled. "Yes, yes. Master Elf, keep your jaw off the ground. The others shall be here any moment." Gimli muttered. Legolas gave him a warm grin. "Of course Master Dwarf. Just as you would have it." He chuckled. Gimli went back to gazing at the gates.  
  
Legolas turned to me, dropping his voice to a low whisper so as not to disturb the dwarf. "If you met them, why did you not invite them along? I'm sure that Mithrandir and the halflings would have been thrilled to meet them." He stated. I swallowed. Should I tell Legolas about the emotions that flew through Fay's eyes at the mention of his name? No.  
  
"They were going to come, but Fay fell ill at the last moment." I explained, just like I'd promised I would. "Fell ill? Is she all right?" He asked, digging for more information. "Yes. She seemed out of sorts due to an event that happened this morning." I informed him. "What happened?" He asked. Was there no end to his questions!? "I am unaware. Just something that shook her up a bit, I suppose." I shrugged.  
  
He frowned. "I shall have to make sure that she's all right." He decided out loud. "No, no, Legolas. I am sure that she is fine." I told him, laying a hand on his shoulder to steady him.  
  
If Fay was avoiding of him (for whatever reason), then the last thing that she'd want was him appearing out of the blue to see her.  
  
His face fell. "Oh. Okay, Aragorn. If you think that's best." He replied glumly.  
  
I would have tried to soothe him further, but it was at that moment that the gates opened. Our guests had finally arrived.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
So how was it? Satisfactory?  
  
We'll have to keep an eye on Fay, er, 'Ellewen'. I hope all the Elvish and everything wasn't too confusing. I tried to explain it as often as possible.  
  
Anyway, for the next chap, you can look forward to: 1) Gandalf and the hobbits 2) Where Fay, ehem, 'Ellewen' is going w/ her self-conscious problems 3) How Legolas handles Fay avoiding him 4) Imaya and Soaria act even worse (if possible)  
  
And I think that's it. Whew! *Wipes brow  
  
Long chapter ^^  
  
Hope ya liked  
  
U + little 'review' button in bottom left corner= VERY happy me ^^  
  
REVIEW!!  
  
~* ElfPilot *~ 


	9. Be Our Guest

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING OF LORD OF THE RINGS (sadly)! BUT I DO OWN FAY, THE LADIES IMAYA AND SOARIA, ISARA, TECKA AND OTHER CHARACTERS THAT ARE NOT J.R.R.TOLKIEN OR PETER JACKSON'S!!!! THANK YOU ^^  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
BTW, anything surround by little swirlys (Ex: ~la la la~) is Elvish ^^  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
AmazonFlame: When r u getting YOUR fic up, hm?? ***eyes you  
  
Blackstardust: I have no idea what it means...heh heh. That was just a name that I came up w/ out of nowhere. I had a feeling someone was going to ask that ^_^  
  
Blu-eyed-belle: Heh heh heh. Thanks. Your review was very inspirational ^_^ And I'm worse than a kooky person...(***gasp!!***dun dun dun) I'm a blond!!! Honest to god! LOL, I think I'm the only REAL blond left in the world. Heh heh heh. Hope ya like that chap ^_^  
  
LegoFodoPip: Writing can't be taught, I'm afraid. At least not be me, heh heh. I'm a terrible teacher ^_^ Altho I think I'm getting' good at rp-ing. And as for Laurwen, well...I'm afraid I can't post these thoughts on the internet...heh heh heh. Thanx for the compliments ^_^  
  
Jedi-jainafel: of course I'll get them back ^_^  
  
Ievandie: I know, so many girls (and guys, too) have that problem. But I think that if u emphasize in the fic just how bad it is, and how it can SO ruin your life, ppl will think twice about themselves, u kno? But I totally agree w/ everything else u said. Who cares what we look like? I know I sound corny, but beauty really does come from the inside. ^_^ it really, really does. ^^  
  
Mercury's Love: aw hell, that's ok ^_^ ***nibbles cookie*** I was just being a bitch, sorry. U were being a great reviewer ^_^ lol. Friends and Neosporin-great mix ^^ pride is like everything else in this world-it should be used in moderation. Lol. I also kno that Fay changed a lot, but it's just the stress of being homesick really starting to set in, u kno? As for avoiding detail, that's just me hastily typing up a quick chapter so as to avoid an angry mob of reviewers who think the fic's late...lol, JK. I really do rush the chaps too much, tho. Hope this one's better! Review! (P.s. I'm gonna keep using 'she-elf' just for lack of a better term. I'm to lazy to always be typing 'the female elf' LOL)  
  
Sara: Um. Around 16, goin' on 17 ^_^ sorry that I skipped that ;}  
  
Megami: oh thanx for the vote of confidence, sensai. Lol. ^_^ review again  
  
Lel vagor: I just picked it ^^  
  
Nova S.: you'll find this chap's POV rather interesting ~.^ Don't worry, I won't have Ellewen as the DID (damsel in distress) for long ^^  
  
Shoes on a Shoe: By the Valar, you're right. I'm gonna fix that right now...  
  
Ok! That's all! ***wipes sweat from face*** and I didn't think I was going to have many shoutouts this chap, LOL. REVIEW, ALL U LOVELY PPL U!!! ^_^  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
SOARIA'S P.O.V.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Imaya and I wandered through the marketplace. One of the servant girls scurried quickly behind us. She carried a large wicker basket for us, so that we wouldn't be bothered by holding our items as we walked around the marketplace.  
  
"Madams, please wait up!" She panted, squeezing between two booths. I rolled my eyes. Incompetent little wretch. Apparently, Imaya was thinking the same, because she increased the pace of her stroll through the streets.  
  
She and I wove through other elves with a grace capable only by female elves of our standard. "What a shame that ada father had to travel to Rivendell again. The house is becoming boring without any guests." Imaya sighed as she examined a brooch from a stand.  
  
"For the sake of Elbereth, Imaya, put that disgusting thing down!" I scolded her. "Only the Valar know how many filthy hands have been all over it." I sneered. She gave me a blank look.  
  
"Unfortunately, Soaria, if we avoided everything that's been touched by filthy hands, we wouldn't even be able to live in our own house. All those disgusting servants roam the halls as though they own the place." she pointed out.  
  
"Especially that Fay." I agreed.  
  
"Yes; that girl is undoubtedly pert." Imaya nodded.  
  
"What do you expect? She's human." I laughed, and Imaya joined me, throwing a few coins to the merchant and placing her new brooch in the basket carried by our servant girl.  
  
Suddenly, someone bumped me from behind as they rushed by. "Hey!" I gasped. The person paused and turned back to me. It was a simple village woman.  
  
"So sorry, ma'am." she panted.  
  
"You had better be!" I sneered.  
  
"Honestly, madam. I was just in a rush. The Fellowship has just arrived at the city gates, and everyone is running to greet them." She explained, breathing hard. Her hair was slightly darker than unusual for a Mirkwood elf, and was falling all in her face. My nose wrinkled in disgust, and I placed a handkerchief over it, as though to block her smell. Then a thought struck me...  
  
"Very well. Be on your way!" I shooed her off.  
  
"Good day, madam." She replied, curtsying. Quickly, she rushed away again.  
  
I adjusted the hem of my pink skirts. "Peasants." Imaya scoffed angrily.  
  
"Imaya," I averted her attention back to me. "We've been lacking dignified guests at our regal home, have we not?" I justified. She nodded. "Well than, what say you that we go to the front gates?" I asked, my voice oozing with hidden meaning. Her pink lips stretched into a smile.  
  
"Yes, Soaria, I believe that's a wonderful idea." She turned to our servant girl. "Get home, and put our new things away." She ordered.  
  
"Yes, ma'am." The girl curtsied, and scurried off.  
  
~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~  
  
LEGOLAS'S P.O.V.  
  
~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~  
  
The gates creaked open. Gimli leaned forward on his axe eagerly. Aragorn turned away from our conversation to watch the gates slowly widen.  
  
The first thing that I saw was Gandalf's long, blazing, white beard. "Gandalf!" Gimli exclaimed happily, waddling over as fast as his small legs could carry him.  
  
What followed was a happy, blissful reunion between Gimli, Aragorn, the hobbits, Gandalf and me. Hugs, tears, smiles- they were all exchanged.  
  
Everyone standing before me looked older; their hair was grey, their faces sagged with wrinkles, and they had grown slightly plump. They had not, however, lost their joyful sprit.  
  
((A/N: I know that the hobbits are old, but in this story, Aragorn has somehow defied time and managed to look the same. Don't ask me how, I just want him and Gimli that way.))  
  
As we all loaded onto Gandalf's small, wooden cart, and passed through my kingdom's narrow streets, the halflings waved merrily at the cheering masses. Some elves even threw bouquets, one of which hit poor Merry right in the face. He just shook his head, picked it up, and proudly displayed it to the rest of the crowd.  
  
The guards bowed low as we approached the palace doors. "Highness." They greeted me. I bowed back to them, and quickly turned back to my friends.  
  
"Let's all go inside and celebrate your coming!" I suggested.  
  
"Don't worry, little hobbits, I managed a barrel of pipe-weed for you." Aragorn assured them. Their eyes lit up.  
  
"A pipeweed!" Pippin breathed. "What are we waiting for?! Let's go!" He exclaimed, rushing forward.  
  
Gandalf watched him, and then looked up at me, grinning knowingly. "I think what you small ones need is rest." He smiled.  
  
"Master Gandalf, don't be silly, now!" Sam interrupted. "We'd like nothing more than to stick around and see the elves! None of us have been to Mirkwood before, sir." He explained. The ever-quiet Frodo behind him nodded eagerly.  
  
"Of course you may see Mirkwood!" I assured them.  
  
"And we know the best tour-guide!" Gimli piped up.  
  
"Who?" Merry inquired.  
  
"The very prince himself!" Gimli exclaimed, clapping me on the back. Everyone laughed and agreed that it was a plan.  
  
Suddenly, a shrill voice in the hair halted our mirth. "Your highness!"  
  
"Prince Legolas!"  
  
Make that TWO shrill voices.  
  
I turned and saw the Ladies Imaya and Soaria waving to me. They wore long, ornate robes. Imaya was furnished in pink, and Soaria in green. Each wore a silver circlet of nobility around their forehead.  
  
"Who're they?!" Pippin questioned, peering over Frodo's shoulder, eyes wide.  
  
"Hmph," Gimli grunted. "I don't see what the fuss is about. They are nothing compared to the Lady Galadriel." He muttered.  
  
"No one can compare to the Lady of the Light, Gimli. Hush." Aragorn silenced him as they drew nearer.  
  
"Prince Legolas." The sisters stopped and curtsied low before me. I gave a small, curt bow to acknowledge them. "Who are your lovely visitors?" Soaria asked.  
  
"Ladies, this is Frodo Baggins, Meriodoc Brandybuck, Peregrin Took, and Samwise Gamgee of the Shire," I motioned to the halflings. The ladies smiled at them as the hobbits bowed politely. "Gandalf the White Wizard," I lay my hand on Gandalf's shoulder.  
  
"Ladies." He grinned, his eyes twinkling.  
  
"Sir." Imaya dipped her head.  
  
"And you know Aragorn, King of Gondor, and Gimli, son of Gloin." I remembered.  
  
"Yes, highness, we have met those gentlemen before." Soaria agreed.  
  
"Everyone, these are the Ladies Imaya and Soaria." I introduced them all finally. Everyone nodded.  
  
"So these chivalrous men are they of the Fellowship?" Imaya inquired.  
  
"That would be us, indeed, madam." Frodo nodded.  
  
"How brave you all must have been," Soaria noted.  
  
"And still are, I'm sure." Imaya added quickly.  
  
The halflings all blushed pink. "You're too kind, miladies. It was all Gandalf, Gimli, and Aragorn. And your prince, of course." Sam humbled himself.  
  
"Don't be modest!" Imaya laughed. Sam just blushed deeper.  
  
"To thank you for your services during that terrible war," Soaria declared suddenly. "My sister and I would like to extend an invitation to you for dinner at our home." She offered.  
  
"Well, actually, miladies, the prince was going to give us a tour of Mirkwood..." Aragorn explained.  
  
"O! Of course! We didn't mean to intrude!" Imaya quickly apologized, she and her sister bowing their heads slightly.  
  
"This IS your first night here. You probably want to rest and catch up with one another..." Soaria agreed quietly.  
  
"Well, yes. But perhaps tomorrow night...?" Pippin looked up at me hopefully. I looked to Gandalf, who smiled and nodded.  
  
"Yes. Tomorrow night would be better. Thank you very much, madams." I nodded. They smiled.  
  
"Our pleasure. Until then!" Imaya nodded.  
  
"Namaarie." Soaria smiled and she and her sister walked away.  
  
"Bye!!" The halflings waved enthusiastically, causing the rest of the Fellowship and myself to grin.  
  
"Bye, pretty stars!" Pippin called, receiving a nudge from Merry.  
  
"Pip! You're married!" He scolded, and everyone laughed, turning towards the castle.  
  
~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~  
  
FAY'S P.O.V.  
  
~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~  
  
As Andra and I returned from our errands, we found that everyone was scurrying around madly.  
  
"What's going on?" I questioned a passing maid.  
  
"The mistresses invited the Fellowship to dinner tomorrow evening! This place has to be in =PERFECT= shape when they get here! The Ladies said that if even one small thing goes wrong, heads will roll." The girl panted.  
  
Andra and I exchanged wary glances. "Thank you," I nodded to the girl as she ran off again, and then I turned back to Soaria. "I suppose that we should find out what our jobs are." I pointed out.  
  
"Yes, of course," She nodded. "You put the groceries away, and I'll find out from Miss Isara what we have to do." She decided.  
  
"Agreed." I nodded, taking her bags with mine and making my way towards the kitchen. I set them down on the counter, and opened the elven pantry. The food was all put in its proper place; it ready for summoning whenever necessary.  
  
"Ellewen," Andra had returned. I pushed a small bottle of herbs onto the rack and turned to face her.  
  
"Yes?" I inquired, waiting for the verdict.  
  
She sighed, and wrinkled her nose. "Wait until you hear..." She grimaced.  
  
"Tell me." I urged.  
  
She scrunched up her face tight. "Floor duty." She whispered. I shrugged.  
  
"So? Mopping a few floors won't be so bad." I stated. She gave a small, curt laugh.  
  
"EVERY floor in EVERY room." She added.  
  
I sighed too. "Good thing there's two of us." I muttered; I knew I could never accomplish so huge a task on my own. I'm not that skilled.  
  
"Yes. Well, even so....Imaya and Soaria have a habbit of 'accidentally' walking across the newly-washed floors when they're still wet." Andra explained. I sat down in a chair, propping my chin up with my hand.  
  
"We should get to work then." I grumbled.  
  
"Yes..." She mumbled disheartedly.  
  
~+~+~+~+~+~  
  
"Come on, Fay, get up." Andra was shaking me. I groaned and peered through the slits that were my eyes. Andra was already dressed.  
  
"How long have you been up!?" I exclaimed. She laughed.  
  
"Long enough to know that three maids have been slapped by Imaya and Soaria, because their outfits weren't right, and that half the prepared course has already been turned down because it wasn't 'rich' enough." Andra laughed. I groaned again.  
  
"It's early morning, and the Ladies are =ALREADY= in that mind set?" I sighed. "Of =course=," I muttered sarcastically. "Anything to make our lives more difficult." I griped.  
  
Andra laughed, and yanked my elbow. "Come on you slugabed! Up! Up! Get up!" She insisted.  
  
"Alright! Alright! I'm up! I'm up!"  
  
"Good. Get dressed." And with that, Andra scuttled out of the room.  
  
I grumbled all the time while pulling on my uniform. "Floors...dinner...guests..." I muttered. "Stupid, stupid Imaya. Hate her sister too..."  
  
I opened the door to my room and peered out into the hallway, as I finished tying the laces of my apron.  
  
"Fay! By the Valar-there you are!" Exclaimed Isara as she walked by.  
  
"Good morning, ma'am." I nodded.  
  
"Morning!? Fay, dear, it's lunch time! Make haste! You had better help Andra wash the rest of those blasted floors!" She hastily pushed me down the hall.  
  
"Yes, ma'am." I nodded.  
  
"Here she is, Andra." Miss Isara led me around the corner, to where Andra was running a mop over the floor.  
  
"Thank you, ma'am." Andra nodded, and handed me a mop. "Use one before?" She eyed me. I laughed.  
  
"Yes. I'll get to work on that passage down there." I declared.  
  
"Good," Andra nodded, pausing to wipe her forehead. Miss Isara had already gone. "When these floors are done, we have service duty." She informed me.  
  
"Which is...?" I pressed.  
  
"We have to play waitress for the guests tonight." She explained. I groaned. GRRRRREEEAAATTTTT......  
  
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~  
  
WHEW!! **cracks knuckles and wipes sweat off of head  
  
Sorry that was so short, guys. I know that I promised a longer chapter, but...**sigh  
  
I had a REALLY bad week. I got into trouble for a whole bunch of &^%$$^&^%^%!! stuff. I'm just not feeling enthused right now. Perhaps some reviews (**wink, wink) will inspire me....  
  
Heh heh heh. Drop a review ^_^  
  
~* ElfPilot *~ 


	10. Dinner

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING OF LORD OF THE RINGS (sadly)! BUT I DO OWN FAY, THE LADIES IMAYA AND SOARIA, ISARA, TECKA AND OTHER CHARACTERS THAT ARE NOT J.R.R.TOLKIEN OR PETER JACKSON'S!!!! THANK YOU ^^  
  
No shoutouts this chapter, okay guys? I just wanna get right to a good, quality fanfic here. But please, REVIEW!!!!!!!! You'll get ch.11 a lot sooner if your do!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
FAY'S P.O.V.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
I swallowed. WHY did I have to serve dinner tonight!? WHY!? Couldn't it have been somebody else's shift? I shouldn't have to go through this. Why make me go through this? WHY ME!?  
  
"FAY!!" Someone screeched. I jumped as a loud shattering sound filled the room. I looked up, my eyes wide. Miss Isara was glaring at me, her hands on her hips. "For Elbereth's sake, girl! Get your head out of the clouds and pay attention! I was handing that plate to YOU!" She shrieked.  
  
I looked down, and felt a heavy guilt weigh on my shoulders. Fragile, little pieces of glass scattered the newly washed floor. The remnants of food were splattered everywhere.  
  
"What on Middle Earth are you so preoccupied about!? Staring at it's not going to clean it up! Get the broom and mop, girl!" Miss Isara scolded. I jumped again, startled out of my reverie.  
  
"Yes, ma'am!" I nodded, scurrying off to find the necessary supplies.  
  
"Honestly!" I could hear Miss Isara exclaim to anyone who was listening. "I don't know what's the matter with her! All day she's been like this- completely oblivious to everything around her!"  
  
I hung my head in shame and embarrassment. I was a failure. I couldn't do anything right. I had no purpose. Even Miss Isara was already complaining about me!  
  
I returned to the small pantry and began to clean the mess my illusions had caused. Someone's hand fell on my shoulder, and I started.  
  
"Calm down, Ellewen, it is just me!" Andra assured me.  
  
"Oh! Andra! You frightened me!" I panted, clutching my heart.  
  
"Ellewen...why are you so nervous? Miss Isara says that you've been a mess all day! She's usually so patient but it seems as though even she has lost her temper..."  
  
Tears sprung into the corners of my eyes. Even Andra thought I was worthless! "I'm sorry." I murmured sincerely, quickly swiping the back of my hand across my eyes.  
  
"Oh, Ellewen! Don't cry! I just want to know what's wrong! When I first met you, you were nothing like this! You were bold and loud! Now you're fitful and self-conscious! Honestly, I only want to help you." She patted my back gently.  
  
I sniffled. "I- I just want to go home," I admitted. "I'm sick of these games with Imaya and Soaria, I'm sick of servant duty, I'm sick of Lego..." I paused, and shook my head. "I just want to go home." I finished lamely.  
  
She eyed me speculatively, as though she knew what I was going to say. But she did not pry. She only comforted. "Oh, Ellewen! Why did you not say this sooner? I'm sure we could get someone to escort you home and..."  
  
"NO!" I interrupted her, breaking away from her tender embrace. I held my head in my hands, my back to her. "You don't understand! No one has ever heard of my home! I have no idea how to get back! I-I can never go home." I stammered, my breath hitching in my throat as fresh tears sprung forth.  
  
Why was I acting so pathetically? Why couldn't I hold back the sobs that began to rack my body? Why was it, that every time I looked in the mirror now, I saw something hideous staring back at me? Andra's right; I used to be so brash and confident. I never had these problems before! Why was everything spinning and so out of control now? I was reaching out for the light, only to be swallowed up in darkness. I DID NOT WANT TO BE THIS WAY! And yet......I almost did...  
  
"Perhaps," Andra stood up, and spoke quietly-almost hesitantly. "Perhaps you should be excused from your duties tonight." She offered.  
  
"But..."  
  
"I will make your excuses." She persisted, holding up her hand in a "no arguments" way. "But you shall depart to bed. Put aside these foolish ideas. You are beautiful, Ellewen, there is nothing wrong with you. And because you are so wonderful, you are my friend. Therefore, I will do everything that I can to help you get back home-one way or another." She vowed, looking me straight in the eyes very solemnly.  
  
I knew, right then and there, that Andra would do whatever she could to help me. "Th-thank you." I stammered on my gratitude and hugged her tightly.  
  
"No off with you. To bed." She insisted. I only nodded, too weary with grief to reply.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
NARRATOR'S P.O.V.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Imaya and Soaria each sat at one end of the table. The entire fellowship spanned the length between them.  
  
"How very kind of you to have us for dinner, ladies." Sam thanked them.  
  
"Of course, Master Samwise." Soaria nodded.  
  
"It was our pleasure." Imaya added.  
  
Both sisters were elaborately dressed in long, flowing, pearly gowns, adorned by small, ivory circlets on their foreheads. They displayed their perfect, even teeth in small, knowing smiles. And even though they were talking to the halflings, their eyes were focused on Legolas-almost as the predator eyes her prey.  
  
"Dinner, madams, sirs..." Andra bustled in, a tray on her shoulder. A few maids were behind her, each carrying their own assortment of food.  
  
"Ah! Lass!" Gimli bellowed happily as he set eyes upon the familiar she- elf.  
  
"Good evening, Master Dwarf," Andra managed a small curtsey. Straightening up, she set down an animal's leg in front of Gimli.  
  
"Fresh meat off the bone!" Gimli cheered, digging his teeth into it excitedly.  
  
"We heard that that was your favorite, Lord Gimli. Thusly, we had it prepared for you." Soaria beamed that horrible fake smile.  
  
"My compliments to the chef!" Gimli growled, tearing the meat ravenously. Pippin stared at him in awe.  
  
"Even Merry and I can't eat like that!" He breathed. Imaya and Soaria gave a small, appreciative chuckle that was obviously not heartfelt.  
  
Andra and the other maids continued setting down plates before the foods' rightful owners, until she reached Legolas. He snatched her wrist as she began to withdraw it. She leaned down slightly to hear what he had to say.  
  
"Where is Fay, tonight?" He questioned.  
  
Andra swallowed. "She is indisposed, milord."  
  
"Still!?" He gasped. "Gimli and Aragorn told me that they invited you two along with them the other day, but that you could not attend because Fay was unwell. Is it anything serious?"  
  
Andra swallowed yet again. "I hope not, milord." She admitted. Wrong answer.  
  
"What do you mean you HOPE not!?" He hissed, straining to keep his voice low. Imaya and Soaria were now preoccupied with Aragorn, and hadn't noticed him talking to the servant yet.  
  
Andra sighed, and looked around cautiously, shifting on her feet as though about to exchange secret, perilous information. "Her spirit is breaking, sir," The she-elf confided. "She wishes to return home, but no one knows the way, nor have they even heard of her previous residence. She cannot remember." Andra exhaled dispiritedly.  
  
"Yes," Legolas muttered thoughtfully, his brow deepening. "It was mentioned that she wasn't from around here... Is she all right, though?" He asked anxiously.  
  
"I-I don't know milord. Were she an elf, she'd be near death of a broken heart." Andra avowed.  
  
"Andra," Legolas clutched her wrist a little tighter. "Were is she?" He asked concernedly.  
  
"She-she is down in servants' quarters. Hers is the last room on the left. It is..."  
  
"ANDRA!" Imaya hollered brutally. "How dare you disturb the Prince of Mirkwood whilst he is trying to eat and converse..."  
  
"My lady," Legolas interjected. "The fault was mine. I was merely requesting that my meat be cooked a slight more." He lied.  
  
"It was not satisfactory!?" Soaria heaved. "Andra! I blame this on you! You have lost all outing privileges for the next month, do you understand me!?"  
  
"Yes ma'am." Mumbled Andra modestly, her head bowed in acknowledgment.  
  
"Now leave this room immediately, and you had better be sure that the Prince's meal is adequate when it is returned to him!" Imaya disciplined.  
  
"Of course." Andra nodded, still not making eye contact as she backed out of the room with Legolas's plate in her hands.  
  
Chatter slowly resumed at the table, and Legolas's dinner soon returned as he had ordered it. He eased into a polite conversation with the two maidens.  
  
Aragorn could not help but observe the diplomatic, almost strained smile that his elf friend wore while the discussion carried on farther. He also noted the creases in his comrade's forehead that had not been there before Legolas's talk with Andra...  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
WHEW!! There you go! I know it was short, but I wanted to get it up for you people. You've waited so long!!  
  
**Throws self at your feet**  
  
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!! PLEASE review so that I may be inspired to continue this...  
  
~* ElfPilot *~ 


	11. Berry Patches

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING OF LORD OF THE RINGS (sadly)! BUT I DO OWN FAY, THE LADIES IMAYA AND SOARIA, ISARA, TECKA AND OTHER CHARACTERS THAT ARE NOT J.R.R.TOLKIEN OR PETER JACKSON'S!!!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
No shoutouts this chapter, okay guys? I just wanna get right to a good, quality fanfic here! =) Do you wanna know why I'm updating so uncharacteristically early? BECAUSE YOU LEFT SOOOOO MANY GREAT REVIEWS LAST CHAP!!!!!!! **CHEERS!!**  
  
So to you thank you for your AWESOME reviews, here's ch.11-nice, LONG, and early!! Remember to leave some more happy reviews =) They make me so happy!! **Squeals girlishly**  
  
REVIEW!!! ^.^  
  
~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~  
  
Andra made her way out of the dining hall. The prince had certainly seemed interested in Fay, hadn't he? But why was that? Granted, they got along well as acquaintances, but they surely weren't anything more. They couldn't possibly be! He, an elvish prince, older than a millennia; she, a young, impulsive human with certain...self-esteem problems.  
  
Why were human girls always so uptight over their appearance, anyway? It bothered Andra that they simply could not accept themselves. They were born that way for a reason. There was nothing more they could do than learn to live happily.  
  
She arrived at servants' quarters. Quietly, she cracked Fay's door open. The young human was sleeping on her bed. But her rest was fitful. She had not even changed into her nightclothes. Instead, it seemed that she had flopped unceremoniously unto the mattress and fallen asleep-shoes and all. Her expression was solemn, and she tossed sporadically on her sides.  
  
Andra stepped into the room, and lay a motherly hand on Fay's shoulder. "Fay, Fay wake up."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You should change into your pajamas, my friend. You must wear this uniform again when you get up in the morning. You don't want it to be wrinkled and creased." Andra pointed out.  
  
"Wha'? Huh? Oh...yeah..." Fay murmured, slowly rising to her feet, and wiping her bleary eyes.  
  
"Goodnight, Ellewen."  
  
"Yeah...night."  
  
Andra left the room, and turned towards her own. Her young friend did not fare well.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The next morning, Andra bustled around the kitchen. The other maids were all chattering and giggling as they worked, but Andra's mind was heavily weighed with concern.  
  
Fay's outburst the previous night had left a dent in her carefree attitude. The girl had been so happy and content when she had first arrived. But those few moments -which seemed ages ago-had changed everything.  
  
"Andra! Honestly! What is so troublesome to you that it has distracted you from your work so often lately!?" Isara reprimanded, walking around and checking on each maid.  
  
"I'm sorry, Madam RedRose. It is Fay... she is not well."  
  
"Is that why she's still in bed?"  
  
"Yes, ma'am, I hadn't the heart to wake her this morning." Andra admitted.  
  
"I see. Well, than perhaps a bit of fresh air will help the girl, eh? How about you wake her up and go pick a few baskets of berries. It is a beautiful day." Isara suggested.  
  
"I would, ma'am, but the mistresses forbade me from any outing privileges." Andra stated, her head bowed in shame.  
  
"Nonsense," Isara waved her hand aside. "You and I both know that they don't pay any attention to their maids. It is not very likely that they would notice you out and about. And if by some ungodly chance they DO realize, you tell them that I gave you permission. All right?" Isara bargained.  
  
"Thank you, ma'am! I shall go and wake Fay immediately! We'll get straight to work!" Andra vowed.  
  
"Good. But I want you two back before dinner, you hear?"  
  
"Yes, ma'am." Andra gave a small bow and hurried off to fetch Fay.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The two friends sat in the small berry patch. It was a secluded little area in the middle of the forest. In the distance was the dull roar of a waterfall, fed by a large river that was just down the path. The canopy of leaves overhead allowed a glowing, almost ethereal light to shine brightly.  
  
The two of them sat on their knees, silently picking the berries. Fay was scowling, plucking the small orbs from their stems a little too harshly. Several had already squished between her fingers from the rough treatment, leaving her hands red and sticky-which made her all the angrier.  
  
Andra, meanwhile, was pulling them with a graceful hand, watching Fay from the corner of her eye. This outing was supposed to help her friend, not let her brood!  
  
Fay glanced at Andra, and saw her looking at her. She scowled harder, upset at being observed like that.  
  
"Perhaps," Andra stood. "I shall go around the bend and see if I can find any blueberries." She suggested tentatively, desperately wanting to ease the thick tension that hung in the air.  
  
"Yeah." Fay growled, her gaze having returned to the berry bush.  
  
"Okay. I-I'm going now." Andra pressed, hoping to get Fay talking. When she got no reaction, she sighed and started down the path.  
  
__________  
  
Legolas and Gandalf made their way through the forest. They had left the rest of the Fellowship in the capable hands of Gimli and Aragorn so that they could talk.  
  
It had been Gandalf's suggestion to walk through the forest for some privacy. "We have important matters to discuss," He had said. "We do not need prying ears."  
  
There had been an awkward silence since their departure from the palace. Gandalf was first to break it.  
  
"What troubles you, my old friend? I have not seen you so depressed since....come to think of it, I've never seen you this upset." He stated.  
  
Legolas heaved a sigh, plucking a small flower from the ground and twirling it between his idle fingers. "Women," He muttered. "Gimli's right; trouble always revolves around women." He declared, tugging the petals of the daisy in a most uncharacteristic way.  
  
"How so?" Gandalf questioned.  
  
Exhaling loudly, Legolas dropped the flower to the ground.  
  
"Had someone finally caught your eye?" Gandalf asked, grinning in an almost knowing way.  
  
Legolas gave a small chuckle. "Yes," He nodded. "Only problem is that it's the worst person I could have fallen for." He added.  
  
The old wizard's face wrinkled with puzzlement. "The worst person? It's not a troll is it?" Gandalf teased slightly.  
  
"Of course not, Mithrander! You know what I mean!"  
  
"No; I don't. Please be so kind as to enlighten me." Gandalf smiled warmly, sitting down on an old stump, hunched over and leaning on his staff for support.  
  
Legolas sat on the forest floor and sighed again. "Well, she has a head on her shoulders, is young and fair, and looks just like a woodland elf...."  
  
"So what is the problem?" Gandalf asked, not joking anymore.  
  
"She is not an elf; but human. In fact, in elven terms, she'd be considered a baby! And she doesn't have to, but she chooses to work as a servant!" He informed his old friend.  
  
"She chooses to?" Gandalf pressed.  
  
"Yes! It's not like she has to! She is lost from her home. No one's heard of it, and she doesn't know how to get back. After her rescue, I told her that she could live in the palace until we figured out how to get her home. But she chose to be a servant." Legolas finished, looking forlornly at his feet.  
  
"Why does she wish to be a servant?" Mithrandir inquired. The elf prince shrugged.  
  
"Honestly, Gandalf, I think it's to avoid me." He admitted.  
  
"Oh come now," Gandalf lay a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Surely she is just..."  
  
"No," Legolas shrugged the hand off. "I took a walk with her one morning, and I was going to ask her why she wanted to work, but we were interrupted. She left before I had another chance to reach her. Not only that, but there have been times when she was invited to be with us -like when you first came to Mirkwood. Aragorn and Gimli invited she and her friend to come along and greet you-but she keeps saying that she is indisposed. Really, Gandalf! She's shunning me!" Legolas confessed, finishing by throwing his face into his hands.  
  
"Now why would anyone avoid you, my friend? You are nothing but loyal and kind! And as for this maid, Aragorn tells me that she danced with you. Surely she can't be avoiding you if you dance together?" Gandalf suggested comfortingly.  
  
"Aragorn told you that? What else has he said!?" Legolas demanded.  
  
Gandalf was surprised by this strange, incongruous behavior that his good friend was displaying. It was most unlike him; usually the elf was cool and collected, understanding and listening, but never quite adding his own input... Now he was near hysterical and the confessions were rolling out in waves. Perhaps keeping it in was becoming too much strain....  
  
"Strider has told me nothing except that he thinks you and she have a chance together--- despite the odds." Gandalf added, seeing Legolas's mouth open in protest.  
  
The elf sighed and rubbed his face wearily. "Than why won't she talk to me, Gandalf? I'm sick of stressing like this! I want to know." He stated finally.  
  
"Sometimes the best thing isn't always the easy thing. If you just..."  
  
Gandalf was interrupted by a sudden scream piercing the air. Both jumped up and turned towards the direction of the cry.  
  
"Come on!" Legolas yelled, already pulling an arrow from his quiver and stringing it to the long bow that he brought everywhere. "This way!"  
  
_______________________  
  
Fay's head snapped up-distracted from her work. That scream-it had been Andra! She was sure of it!  
  
Throwing the basket of collected red berries carelessly aside, she raced down the path that Andra had taken earlier that morning.  
  
~What if she's hurt!?~ Fay thought, running madly ahead, ignoring the sticks and rocks that scratched at her as she raced through the forest. ~What if she's dead, and the last time I ever saw her was when I was so cruel this morning!?~ Guilt and panic surged through her system, spurring her faster.  
  
She spotted the other berry patch from the corner of her eye, and tripped over her own feet in her haste to get there. Andra was sitting on the ground, her face distorted with a look of pain. Others were already there, but Fay paid them no mind. Scurrying through the leaves, she threw herself at her friend, wrapping her arms tightly around her neck.  
  
"Andra! You're all right! THANK GOODNESS YOU'RE ALL RIGHT! I heard you scream, and I thought that you... I thought that..." Fay's voice choked on the sobs that began to wrack her body, and she sobbed into Andra's shoulder- just letting everything go.  
  
It wasn't just the shock of hearing the screech, and finding her friend all right, but it was the rush of adrenaline that still had her shaking, and the grief that had built up over the last few weeks. It was all finally coming out-all of it in one big wave.  
  
Andra, surprised at having someone latched around her neck so suddenly, patted Fay's back awkwardly. "There, there," She soothed. "I'm just fine. I twisted my ankle, but I'm ok." She comforted.  
  
Fay kept crying into Andra's shoulder for a while more, and everyone sat silently, gazing at their shoes politely. Finally, the young human drew back, wiping her puffy, red eyes on the back of her hand.  
  
"Sorry," She apologized, her voice hoarse. A blush of embarrassment was already creeping up her cheeks. "I guess that I got a little carried away there-I'm just so glad that you're all right!"  
  
"She'll be fine," Declared a wise old voice behind Fay. She turned, suddenly remembering that there were other people, and came face to face with an older gentlemen clutching a staff. "Your friend merely tripped and twisted her ankle." He explained.  
  
Fay wiped her eyes again. "Pardon me, but...who are you?" She questioned.  
  
He gave a hearty laugh and smiled. "I am Gandalf the Wizard, and you?"  
  
"Fay." She answered.  
  
"I trust you know Legolas?" Gandalf motioned to his left.  
  
Fay's pulse picked up again, and her gaze jumped over. There indeed was Legolas. He looked sort of...solemn.  
  
"Hello, Fay." He greeted. But his tone wasn't as light or airy as usual. In fact, it was bordering on apathetic.  
  
"Hello." She replied, her eyes wide, but her tone serious as well.  
  
Gandalf cleared his throat. He had realized long ago that this was the very maid that Legolas had been referring to. "I shall attend to Miss Andra, here." He headed towards her, and slung her arm around his shoulders, assisting her to walk -or limp, really- through the forest. It was quite the comical sight, as his other hand clutched a walking staff to support his own weight. It was similar to the blind leading the blind, or the coal calling the kettle black.  
  
Fay snapped out of her reverie, and jumped up. "Nonsense, I'll help her." Fay made to take Andra's other arm.  
  
"No," Her friend ordered sternly, pulling the spare limb to her chest. She had caught on to what Gandalf was doing... She agreed with his thinking; Fay and Legolas needed to talk-NOW.  
  
"Gandalf and I are doing just fine. You have your own business to attend to." She inclined her head towards Legolas, who sat on the grass-watching the whole scene with a bored expression.  
  
"We will be back at the palace when you are through." Gandalf informed them, and he and Andra turned and started to hobble back to the city.  
  
Fay remained standing, even when they had disappeared beyond her line of vision. She hadn't the courage to turn around and face Legolas. All of her concerns from the past few weeks flooded back to her. She felt small- insignificant.  
  
Swallowing, she remembered a time when she would have laughed if someone had told her that she'd be afraid to talk to the elf. But now, for some reason unknown to even her, he intimidated her.  
  
"Why have you been avoiding me?" His voice cut through the air clearly.  
  
She grimaced. He was trying to confront her peacefully, but his anger was getting the better of him. She turned, and jumped when she found him standing right there. Hadn't he been sitting a length away just a moment ago? Curse the silence of elves' feet!  
  
She swallowed and got herself under control once more. "I-I'm not avoiding you." She intended to be firm-to tell him off... like her former self would have done. She wanted to be strong like that again. But even to her own ears, her tone sounded fake.  
  
He took a step forward, and she took a step back. He sighed, and lay his hands on her shoulders to steady her. "Then why do you tremble at my touch? Why do you sound meek and afraid?" He had bent down slightly to lock eyes with her.  
  
She wanted desperately to stare him down defiantly, but it was as he said. She was indeed shaking, and she couldn't keep his eye. She felt his fingers slip under her chin and forced her gaze up again.  
  
"You are afraid of me." It was a statement.  
  
She felt as though his piercing blue eyes could see into her very soul. She could not lie to him. Slowly, she nodded.  
  
He tottered back, throwing his hands into the air exasperatedly. "WHY!? What have I done to you? Why do you fear me!?" He shouted, losing his patience.  
  
She too, took a few steps backward. "I-I don't know." She admitted.  
  
"Well if you don't, then who does!?" He demanded.  
  
She could merely shake her head in ignorance. This was so unlike him! This was so unlike =her=!  
  
"Is that why you wanted to become a servant!? To get away from me!?" He continued, his volume showing no signs of lowering anytime soon.  
  
"N-no!" She cried. "That's not it at all!" She insisted, horrified that he would think that.  
  
"Then what is it!?" He interrogated her further.  
  
She hesitated. Should she tell him?  
  
"Fine!" She shouted back, anger rising beside her terror. "It is you! Bad enough that I can't go home, that I'm stuck here with all of these, these...=perfect= elves! But no! Then you've got to come along and look at me like that! Like I'm worth something! You can't just leave me alone! You keep raising my hopes! I think maybe you're actually sincere, but how can you be!? No one could ever love someone like..."  
  
She paused, realizing just how much had spilled from her mouth. She had only meant to say a little, enough to get him off her back, but then everything else had come flooding out.  
  
"Like what?" He asked softly, advancing towards her. She retreated, stopping only when her back hit the trunk of a tree.  
  
"Even if y-you actually felt that way about me, it could never work," She whispered. "Don't make me think that we've got a chance when we don't! It's impossible! And there's too much else on my mind for me to be thinking about stupid, ridiculous things like that!"  
  
He gazed into her eyes, as though searching for the full truth in their depths. He placed his hand on her cheek. "What are you talking about?" He asked, his brow furrowed with puzzlement.  
  
Despite her strongest attempt to stay strong, to be vigilant, a tear slipped down Fay's cheek. Looking even more confused, Legolas swiped it away with his thumb. "Fay?" He murmured her name, asking what was going on. But the whisper of his voice was all that it took for her resolve to crumble.  
  
She bit her lip, and reached up, forcing his hand away and rubbing her eyes. Tears were spilling forth and she was furiously brushing them away.  
  
Hesitantly, all anger forgotten, Legolas drew her into his arms, patting her hair comfortingly. She let herself weep onto his chest for a moment, then realized where she was. Quickly, she shoved herself from his embrace. "No!" She muttered fiercely, sobs still hitching in her throat.  
  
Frowning he caught her hand, and pulled her closer, despite her struggles. His other hand lay itself on her cheek again. He pulled her to him, and settled on the forest floor. She sat near him, looking down, no longer struggling but still crying.  
  
"Fay, please, what is wrong?" He asked tenderly. He caught her eye, and she swallowed, unable to look away.  
  
Fay heaved a sigh. "Things here are...just so. And so much of me has changed; it...it scares me. I mean, I never used to worry about how I looked, but then...well all you elves are so PERFECT that it's hard for any human -especially a young, teenage human girl-not to feel...inferior. I mean, well... Do you remember when my hair was all those different colors?" Fay asked suddenly, glancing up instead of looking ashamedly at her lap.  
  
"Yes," Legolas gave a very small chuckle. "It's hard to forget them."  
  
"Well, the colors have faded out. But I look back on it now, and I realize that I was trying so hard to be different, and it frightens me that now I wish so hard to be the same-to be as beautiful as the elves I'm surrounded by. And, and I used to be so strong-willed! None of this mushy 'talk out your feelings' crap that I'm doing even now! No! I never would have put up with this before!" She paused and breathed deeply, collecting herself. "I feel so different...like I'm someone else now-I'm not 'me' anymore. It, it terrifies me." She revealed, another sob hitching in her throat.  
  
He wrapped his arms around her again. "People change, Fay. That's the way things are. If you think you are changing for the worst, look through my eyes. You are beautiful and intelligent. I am so happy that you walked into my life. Every day and night, I can't stop thinking about you. I..."  
  
"Please stop." Fay whispered. "You don't mean any of that. I can't understand why you would want to waste your time with someone like me. I am so..."  
  
She was cut short when his lips locked on hers. Startled, she jumped back, eyes wide. Her fingers traced her lips for a moment; they tingled slightly.  
  
"That is just it," He murmured. "You are not ugly, you are not heinous. You are wonderful!" He gripped her shoulders and shook her. "Why can't you see it, Fay? You are witty and intelligent! The sun is jealous of the way your beauty shines so bright! I love you!"  
  
"No, no you don't!" She whispered, her eyes closed tightly as more tears escaped. She was shaking her head wildly. "Even if you did mean that,"  
  
"I do!" He insisted.  
  
She kept talking as though he hadn't said anything. "Even if you did mean that, you and I...we could never be together! I am a human! You are an elf! I would die, and if you love me like you say that you do, your heart and soul would shatter!"  
  
"Than I shall give up my immortality!" He said firmly.  
  
"Then you would die first, and I would be left with the broken heart! You are older, Legolas. If you were human, you would be dead already!" She shrieked, tears streaming down her face.  
  
"Fay,"  
  
"No! I can't do it, Legolas! Please! Please just stop!" She sobbed hysterically.  
  
"But Fay, I..."  
  
"STOP! Please! I just want to go home!" She stood, backing away from him.  
  
He stood as well. "But I..."  
  
"No!" Tears still running down her face, she turned and ran into the growing darkness of the evening.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ok. In most of my chapters, this one too, there have been a few mistakes. Like, I don't know if there really is a waterfall in Mirkwood, but Rivendell has two-so why not? Or the berries-I'm sure they have those too, lol. And yes, I knew that an elf wouldn't trip, but she......had a lot on her mind. And I know there were a lot of typos, again, sorry. But please just ignore any of those little glitches ^.^  
  
And I'm sorry that this chapter was SOOOOOOOO Mary Sue-ish, but I wanted the elf to DOOOO something. For some reason, this chapter was incredibly hard to write. I re-did it FOUR times. And then I got myself in a fix and it came out like a Mary Sue!! I'M SOOOOOOOOO SORRY!!!  
  
**ahem** Well please review, and PLEASE don't tell me how Mary Sue-ish it was, because I already know, and I'm beating myself up for it.  
  
REVIEW!  
  
Thanks,  
  
~* ElfPilot *~ 


	12. Morier

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING OF LORD OF THE RINGS (sadly)! BUT I DO OWN FAY, THE LADIES IMAYA AND SOARIA, ISARA, TECKA AND OTHER CHARACTERS THAT ARE NOT J.R. OR PETER JACKSON'S! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, my display of gratitude to my loyal reviewers *^.^* Sorry that I skipped some of you, you reviewed after I typed this part up. Sorry =(

Tap-Dancing Hobbit:: Thank you! I'm glad you think that it wasn't a horrible MS. And as for the great plot? It's about to thicken...

Culdil-Part-Elven: I'm so glad you like it!

Melodie: Here's another chapter. I hope it lives up to your expectations!

MethosMacLeod: One of my loyalist reviewers! THANK YOU!

Huckling: I fully intend to keep this thing going (until the end, anyway =)

Aarien Star: There's a reason why she's so oblivious. You'll see ~.^

HimalayanRex: I hope it wasn't too bad =(

Haldir Lives: I intend to clarify some of the MS-ishness in this chapter. There will be a lil more, but I don't think it will be as bad.

Threthiel M. Belowen: Blame the evil non-reviewers for how long it took for this fic to get up! LOL

Safiresky: I wish ~I~ could ravage the elf, LOL ^.^

Blu-Eyed-Belle: Cookies! Thanks for the little excuse, that and sweets always makes me feel better! **nibbles cookie HAPPILY**

I want AT LEAST 223 reviews before I put up chapter 13! And this chapter is going to be an evil, evil cliffhanger! Mwahahahahaha! I don't care how much of a bitch you think I am (and I am ~.^) I WILL NOT post until I have 223 reviews minimum! Hmph!

REVIEW!

FAY'S P.O.V.

I staggered through the forest. There were so many thoughts...so many emotions...too much confusion... Why did I run from Legolas? Where was I going?

Well two things were for sure: I was NOT going back to Imaya and Soaria, and I was NOT going back to the palace with Legolas.

But for some reason, I didn't feel panicked. I didn't feel scared or worried or even apprehensive. I just felt...calm. Finally, I was getting away from it all! It seemed that I had never had any trouble before Middle Earth...before Mirkwood. Leaving it behind felt...empowering, reassuring. I could go somewhere new, start over. I'd never have to see Imaya or Soaria or Legolas or Andra or ANY of them again!

I could just waltz up to a stranger and start anew; no strings attached. A great weight lifted from my shoulders as I realized that this is what my older self would have done. Just walk away from it all; let them deal with the consequences! It's not your problem anymore...

I came to the bottom of the trunk of a very strong tree and gazed up. The higher branches seemed sturdy enough, and so I began to climb. "Trees aren't that bad to sleep in." The optimistic part of me decided.

"Says who?" Retaliated my pessimistic self. "You doze off, roll over and fall off the branch...only to land on the ground with a sickening SPLAT!" It laughed. I shook the negative thoughts from my mind, and inhaled deeply instead.

The air was cool and misty. I felt so...carefree. I had to try this nature thing more often! It was really working for me!

I was tempted to start doing yoga or meditation right there in the tree, but decided that both would result in me falling from the branch. THAT would be as far from relaxing as you can get.

But as I lay there on the branch, I couldn't help but let my thoughts drift. How strange, that I had sat in Mirkwood all those weeks-feeling wretched. As soon as I leave, however, I am lighthearted and cheery. I thought I was having self-esteem problems? Shouldn't =I=, of all people, know if I don't feel well about myself?

"You know, it isn't generally considered a good idea to sleep in trees if you're not an elf. You humans have a tendency to slip and break a limb."

I jumped about halfway out of my skin when I heard the voice disrupting the peaceful air. Curses! Curse the elves and their silent footsteps! Lord forbid I hear them tread through the forest!

I glanced down, and my brow furrowed in confusion. A tall, lean, and muscular man stood there. In fact, he had the same physique as Legolas (as impossible as it seemed) but different features. For one thing, he was slightly more tan (but only a little, because elves have that naturally pale skin), his cheekbones were less high, his nose was somewhat larger, and he had green eyes. But the biggest difference was his jet-black hair. Were elves supposed to have hair that dark? Sure, I had heard the elves of Rivendell had hazel colors, but BLACK!? It looked almost fake...

"Who are you!?" I called down, peering slightly between the leaves.

The elf gave a luxurious bow. "I am Lord Morier! Have I the pleasure of addressing Lady Fay, or Ellewen?" He inquired.

He smirked as my expression grew even more confused. How did he know who I was?

"I am she." I acknowledged, not sure it was the smartest thing to do.

"Would you be so kind as to descend to the ground and pleasure me with your company?" He asked. I blinked.

"Um...all right. I suppose so..."

Slowly, carefully, I moved down the tree-weaving between the stray branches. As I neared the bottom, this elf, this Morier, extended his hand for me to grasp as balance. I eyed it-uneasy. I had only just met him, and there was a growing discomfort in my stomach already.

"Is something the matter, my lady?" He questioned politely.

"Only that I am not a noble, and you should not address me as 'my lady'." I grumbled.

Quickly, before I could say another word, he swiped up my hand and gently pulled me down into his waiting arms. I was clutched in such a way that my back leaned against his arm, causing my body to tilt slightly. It was sort of like being dipped while dancing.

He gazed into my eyes. I sucked in my breath as he whispered, "But you are fairer than any pampered palace woman in my sight, and I shall treat you with such due respect."

I blinked in near-astonishment as he stood me on my feet and I adjusted. "My lord," I began, but he held up a hand to silence me.

"Please, for you, I am just Morier." He explained.

"Morier, I am a mere human, no more special than any elf. Especially not one of noble birth." I informed him.

"Human you may be, my dear, but you are MUCH more valuable than any of those twittering flocks of geese who call themselves ladies."

My jaw dropped. I agreed wholeheartedly, of course, but to actually hear someone else say it...

"Besides, you should not think so poorly of yourself. Those issues and concerns that have been bothering you lately are of no more truth than the idea that the sun rises in the west. We all know this to be a lie, just as the idea that you're ugly is a lie." He stated, as though the matter were as simple as choosing between black or white.

"Well I, I..." I stammered. "Wait a moment, how do you know I've been feeling...insecure?" I demanded, my mood swinging violently.

My hands were snatched up again, and he peered once more into my eyes. "I know everything about you, Fay McCammon. I know that you're not from around here- that you hail from America, and your ancestors came to this America on a boat from Ireland. You are fifteen, and so near in looks to a woodland elf that you are often mistaken for one. You are good friends with Andra, an elven servant of the Ladies Imaya and Soaria. You hold the affections of Legolas Greenleaf, prince and heir to the throne of Mirkwood, son of Thranduil, and you are in the debt of Aragorn, heir of Isildur, King of Gondor, and Lord Gimli of the Lonely Mountain."

My mouth hung wide. He had said it all so quickly-so swiftly, it had barely sunk in yet. When it did, however, it =sunk= and hit my gut with a weight so heavy I thought I might topple over. How...how did he know all this? Why? For what reason?

He smiled mischievously at my speechlessness, and, finally breaking that soul-piercing gaze, turned and whistled. There was a sudden sound of heavy hooves traveling in the forest. A large grey-dappled mare came galloping into view. She snorted and shook her great, shadowy mane, pawing at the dirt impatiently.

"Come, you shall depart with me on the back of Arwenamin." He stated, and, still grasping my hand in a loose -yet strong- grip, he hoisted me onto the saddle (even though I could have done so myself), mounted in front of me, and kicked the horse into a canter. As the wind picked up, I clutched his waist for a mooring point. I didn't see the coy smile that spread over his features.

Legolas, angry and kicking up dirt in the most unelvish way, marched home. That had gone wrong! So horribly, terribly wrong!

There he was, practically spilling his heart out to her, and, and...kissing her! But no! Oh no! She had to cry and run into the forest! Valar forbid that she explain herself! Stop being so hysterical so that she could hear him out!

Legolas grit his teeth in frustration and burst through the palace doors. The servants and maids all jumped aside in fright as he stormed down the hall. They each wore bewildered looks. The prince was certainly in a mood!

Legolas was just about to dash up the stairs towards his chambers, when a voice called out to him. It was Aragorn-sitting in a room on his right. The door was open, and Legolas could see Aragorn, Mithrandir, and Andra (with her ankle propped up) sitting in the large, comfortable chairs by the open fire.

"Legolas! What's wrong? Why are you stomping about so?" The ranger questioned.

"Fay! Ruddy impossible! No matter what you do, she refuses to listen to a word that you say! And then! Then she runs off into the forest, crying and wailing as though the whole world's collapsed on top of her!" Legolas growled, throwing his hands into the air exasperatedly.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE RAN OFF INTO THE FOREST!?" Andra hollered suddenly, jumping up onto her bruised and swollen foot. "You mean to tell me that I left her with you, hoping you two could settle all the conflicts, and YOU MADE IT WORSE!?" She screamed hysterically.

"I'm sorry, Andra, but I have no patience left for you women!" Legolas yelled right back, most uncharacteristically. "If she chooses to behave in such a manner, than I'll not have anything to do with her! I TRIED talking to her! I TRIED reasoning with her! If she doesn't want to hear it, than there is nothing I can do!"

"WELL YOU HAD BETTER DO SOMETHING! JUST LOOK AT THE WEATHER!"

Andra seethed, pointing a shaking hand towards the window. The whole room stilled for a moment, so that the pelting noise of rain could be heard against the glass. Night had finally descended, and the storm made for a pitch-black evening.

"I dare say that we had best go and find the lass." Gandalf suggested quietly.

"The three of you can go on the silly hunt! I am staying right here!" Legolas declared rebelliously, crossing his arms and planting his feet defiantly.

Andra scowled and waddled over to him.

Legolas suddenly felt the front of his tunic pulled forward in a tight grasp. Andra had him by the collar, yanking his neck so that their faces were only a few inches away. "Now you listen here!" She demanded, eyes blazing with anger. "I don't care if you're a simpleton or a bloody prince! You chased her off, YOU HELP US FIND HER!"

With each word, Andra gave a hearty pull of his shirt.

Legolas blinked in astonishment. That was quite the unexpected move- especially coming from Andra!

"Yes, Legolas," Aragorn spoke up again. "I'm afraid that you don't have much choice in this matter."

FAY'S P.O.V.

In a short amount of time, Morier pulled his horse to a stop in front of a small, black castle. Yes, that's right: a castle.

Granted, the building was significantly smaller than the palace of Mirkwood. It was more like a mansion, really. But it was still a large abode reserved only for the wealthy. According to his fine clothes, horse, tack, and home, Morier was wealthy.

In one swift movement, Morier dismounted and extended a hand for me. I ignored it and rolled off the horses back. What was its name? Oh yes! Arwenamin. Wait-wasn't that Elvish for something?

"What does 'Arwenamin' mean in Elvish?" I questioned.

He smiled, glad that I was speaking. I hadn't said a word the entire ride over.

"It means 'my lady'." He replied, slipping his arm through mine when he thought I wasn't looking. I didn't say anything, and merely removed my arm from his grasp- only to have him latch on again.

"Will you stop?" I growled.

He ignored my protest, sauntering through the front doors and leaving his horse waiting there for whatever servants took care of it. I felt bad the poor creature and hoped that its attendants came soon. Night was coming, throwing everything into shadows, and it was even starting to rain...

Glad to be under shelter, I rushed inside. It was incredible...or at least I'm sure that that's what I would say if I could've seen. The entire room was dark, and I could barely see what was right in front of me!

Apparently, though, Morier knew where he as going, because he led me (through what I'm sure was some hall) and into a room with a fire going in its place. He picked a torch from the wall and lit it.

This room was...well...creepy. The heads of many animals were mounted as trophies on the wall above the fire. The furniture and curtains were made of a heavy black material. No sun was able to shine in.

Maybe the sun is just scared, the humorous part of me decided. Well I couldn't really blame the large, fiery orb. Morier's home was more like a dungeon with furnishings, rather than an actual residence.

"This way," He broke the foreboding silence suddenly. "I'll show you to your room." He declared, stepping with brisk strides. He still had my arm woven through his, and I practically had to jog to keep up.

"If memory serves me correctly, you're little friend gave you an Elvish name. Right?" He turned and gazed at me questioningly.

"Yes..."

"Ellwen...wasn't it?"

"Yes..."

"That means something as well." He continued. Now I was interested.

"Does it? I thought she merely chose that name randomly." I admitted.

"She did. But in Quenya, 'ele' means elf and 'wen' means maiden. Roughly translated, it would be..."

"Elf maiden." I interrupted. He nodded.

"That doesn't fit." I wrinkled my nose unhappily. I was most certainly not an elvish maid.

He stopped walking, and turned to face me. "I know what your name should have been," He stated.

"What?" I grumbled, feeling very tired all of a sudden.

"Inwe."

I looked up at him, puzzled. "Why Inwe?"

"Well the language of your Irish ancestors was Gaelic wasn't it?" He pressed.

"Something like that." I nodded.

"Well, in this Gaelic, 'Fay' means 'elf' and 'fairy',"

My eyes grew wide. My =parents= gave me a name that meant elf!?

"So I think your name should be 'Inwe', which is Elvish for 'fairy'. You persist so strongly that you are not an elf. Than you shall be a fairy." He informed me, ending the matter.

I was a bit perplexed by the whole thing. So I had three names now? Fay, Ellewen, and Inwe.

Well I suppose that if you're going to have more than one calling, those three are lovely.

"I'm sure that you're weary now," Morier straightened up. "This is your room." He motioned towards the door behind me.

I turned to gaze at it. The door was solid wood, and had beautiful carvings in it.

Suddenly, I was pulled into a tight embrace. Morier had placed the torch into a bracket on the wall, and swept his arms around me. I blinked in surprise, but didn't move.

He leaned down and kissed my forehead tenderly. "Sleep well...my Inwe." He whispered, then let go of me, and disappeared down the hall and into the dark before I could say another word.

OK, sorry that it was short and sucked so bad. Heh heh.

As I'm sure you noticed, I got rid of those wretched symbols! **cheers!**

Also, I looked up Fay on this site called "Now we Have all got Elvish Names!" And the Elvish name for Fay was Inwe. And "Morier" is an Elvish phrase for "dark one" if that give you any clue to what Morier's role is going to be ~.^

And don't worry-Legolas isn't out of the picture just yet ~.^

And on a final note, REVIEW!

Hope you enjoyed the chap!

~* ElfPilot *~


	13. The Truth

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING OF LORD OF THE RINGS  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Hugs you all so hard you turn blue:  
  
MlleRogue: Yes. Mistakes. The very foundation of my life... LOL  
  
Felina: Thank you =)  
  
ChuckingRocksAndNoodles: Are they ramen noodles? **Slurps a noodle** I love ramen noodles ^.^ And just a little secret between you and me... I don't get the plot, and I don't know where this is going either, LOL.  
  
Christina: **Bathes in the shower of compliments** Thanks! As if my ego wasn't huge enough already! LOL, JK. Thanks  
  
WildCat: Here ya go! Service with a smile!  
  
AnglAchel: I have only fully developed one plot twist about Morier so far. I'm still not sure how I'm going to be working him into a couple of the scenes I have planned, never mind all those other details, heh =)  
  
TapDancingHobbit: Oh believe me, you'll understand Morier's boldness in a little while ~_^  
  
LegolasLover: Now that's a huge compliment because there are a lot of great fics on this site! Thanks!  
  
Eruanna: I agree. Some people can pull of a really great MS fic. Unfortunately, I'm not one of those people, LOL. So I'm glad you don't find this Mary Sue-ish ^.^ And why a Lego =clone=!? Why not Lego himself!? **Grins madly** Oh the possibilities.  
  
Gilimirin: Yeah, I am definitely throwing a few stones in the plot current with Morier ^_^ And Legolas's tantrum? We all have our moments ~_^  
  
CassieBear01: I wish there were fairies in ME. **Dreamy sigh** Perfect.  
  
HimalayanRex: Poisoned honey? Poor Pooh Bear!! **Wicked cackle** LOL  
  
ThrethielMBelowen: Thank you, thank you, thank you! (Marsha, Marsha, Marsha! LOL)  
  
NvilleSweetY05: Here's another one! **Dances happily while singing "New chap! New chap!"**  
  
AarienStar: Thank you! **Beams with pride**  
  
Blah: I'm quite inclined to agree. I wasn't quite sure how to get into the fic what I wanted to happen, but I'm glad that it wasn't a =complete= flop! LOL  
  
Darla: I finally got rid of those *&^$^$#! symbols!!! Everyone cheer!  
  
AlysCuldilBaronlote: Not his evil twin. He just looks like him. =) By the way, how many pen names do you have? There seem to be a lot of 'Culdil's running around, LOL ^_^  
  
ChestnutWind: That's okay =) I understand the whole 'very busy, no time to even turn on the comp' thing. I've been down that road many a time! LOL OOOO buckles and leather on Legolas!! **slaps you** Great, now you'll have me dreaming =those= dreams again! LOL, JK. Did the slap hurt? **Hands you new tack for your horse and a box of cookies** I'm sorry **Looks angelic** My writing's improving!! **Eyes well up with tears** You're my new favorite person! I think Faye would be an =adorable= name for a foal. Awwww!  
  
HaldirLives: Numb hands!? **Gasps and hands you hot cocoa** And you still managed to review!? I SO LOVE YOU!  
  
BluEyedBelle: OMG! You did NOT just call me chica! LOL, that's my new word!! Only I spell mine 'chicka', LOL. How funny!  
  
MethosMacLeod: Another loyal reviewer **grins** Thanks  
  
EowynofIthilien: Hell hath no fury like a woman enraged... LOL.  
  
SaFireSky: Thanks so much! I love it when people love my fic! **Dances**  
  
ALL RIGHTY! THANKS SOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED! You guys rule so much! And because you gave me 13 reviews more than I asked for, I won't put a limit on =this= chap!! LOL, not much, I know, but you guys ARE SO INCREDIBLY AWESOME!! I CAN'T FREAKIN' GET OVER IT! **Huggles!!!!**  
  
LOL. Thanks guys! PLEASE review again! ^_^  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
FAY'S P.O.V.  
  
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Two months-that's how long I stayed with Morier. And to be blunt, he treated me like a queen. I was pampered and showered with gifts. Every morning, there was a brand new gown laid out for me, and the food was delicious.  
  
Anything that I requested or wished for was immediately retrieved for me-no matter the absurdity of it. And when I asked to be taught the art of the bow and arrow, it was Morier himself who taught me.  
  
Of course, the moment that I picked up the bow, he decided that I ought to learn how to use a sword and daggers as well.  
  
Life was grand. For a time there, any thought of home, Mirkwood, Legolas, or even Andra strayed as far from my mind as it possibly could...  
  
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LEGOLAS'S P.O.V.  
  
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All that I could think about was Fay. Two long months ago, she ran off, and no one had seen her since. I was to blame. It was all my fault. She had tried to talk to me, to reason. I hadn't wanted to hear her.  
  
I see now, though, that she was right. An elf and a mortal? It was a dream.  
  
I sighed and dropped my head into my hands. Everything was ruined. Andra refused to speak with me, Mithrandir was disappointed, and Aragorn pitied me. I hated pity. It didn't change anything.  
  
Looking back, I suppose that I should have been prepared for what was to come...  
  
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FAY'S P.O.V.  
  
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"Morier?" I called across the table during breakfast one day.  
  
"Yes, melomin*?"  
  
I tapped my fork on the plate anxiously. Thoughts had been gnawing at my mind lately, and I wanted them, no, =needed them= out in the open.  
  
"How do you know so much about me?"  
  
"Well, my dear, when people spend two solid months together, they tend to learn about one another and..."  
  
"No," I interrupted, now turning the fork over and over between my fingers. I bit my bottom lip, inhaled, and let it out. "Please don't misunderstand me. I am very grateful for all that you have done for me. Yet, there is something that I cannot rest without knowing. When you and I first met, you nearly recited my whole history back to me. How did you know?"  
  
Then it happened. A devious smirk spread over Morier's features. "I was wondering how long it would take you to catch on, my sunlight."  
  
"Catch on?"  
  
"How did you think it happened, Fay? How do you suppose you got in Middle Earth in the first place?"  
  
I pushed my chair back slightly. There was a crazed look in his eyes and he was beginning to frighten me... "I...I don't know..."  
  
"I brought you here."  
  
My jaw dropped and my eyes grew wide. I was speechless.  
  
"The Valar told me of this other world-yours. I was granted the power to see into it at will. And who do you suppose that I saw, Fay? The perfect weapon. You."  
  
"Me? Weapon!? Morier, you make no sense!"  
  
"Oh, but don't you see, Fay? I brought you here. I planted all of those insecurities in your mind. That's right. I manipulated you. Every time that you hesitated or thought ill of yourself, it was I. I have complete power over your mind."  
  
My breath was coming in short gasps now. It was too fast-all of it. None of it could be true! How could he possibly have brainwashed me? "Why would you do that!?"  
  
He let out a small, malicious laugh. "It went so perfectly. Everything that I hoped for, planned for... You have been a most successful, puppet, my dear."  
  
I suppose I must have fallen out of my chair, for next thing I knew I was on the ground.  
  
"The prince couldn't help but fall in love with you," He continued. "I allowed it to happen. I allowed feelings to grow. Then I waited. I waited for him to make his move. And while I waited, I placed down the stones to form the path of the next few steps. I began to put horrid thoughts in your head. Then, when Legolas expressed his feelings for you, I made you run- straight to me."  
  
My head was whirling. So I hadn't really been having self-esteem issues. It was Morier. The whole time, it had been him.  
  
"Why do that?" I whispered, still unsure of the whole plan. "If you have such control over me, why not just make me run to you in the first place?"  
  
"In order for the rest of the plan to work, Legolas must love you. It took time for him to acknowledge his feelings. When you ran, I wanted the elves to blame it on your 'self-esteem problems'. It would be far too suspicious if you just up and left if you were completely happy."  
  
"So you made me think I was terrible, knowing that I would tell Andra and the others that I was unhappy with myself? Now that I am gone, they think it is because I was upset. They do not realize that you actually have me."  
  
"Now you understand." He grinned.  
  
"No. I don't. What do you need me for?"  
  
He laughed aloud. "Revenge, of course! The prince of Mirkwood did me wrong many centuries ago. Long I planned to overthrow him, but he seemed to have no weakness. That left me with one other option-to create one. So I placed you in the picture. You, my Inwe, are his weakness."  
  
I leapt up. "You are going to use me against Legolas!?"  
  
He smirked and stepped closer, grasping my hands up in his. "It will break his heart to see that you do not care for him." He whispered in my ear. My eyes grew wide.  
  
"You are wrong!" I cried, a fit of passion suddenly overtaking me. "I do care for him!"  
  
Morier laughed again. "Perhaps, but he does not know that. You ran before you told him..."  
  
"If all that you have said is true, then =I= did not run! You =made= me run!"  
  
"Yes," he nodded. "That is correct."  
  
"Well I'm sick of playing games, Morier. Let me go." I tried to wrench from his grasp, but it was to no avail.  
  
"Oh no. You must stay with me, Inwe."  
  
"Don't call me that!" I struggled against him. "Let go of me!"  
  
"I'm afraid that I cannot do that. You still have a part to play yet. Your prince may be invincible in battle, but his heart is weak. When he sees you and I together, it will shatter and..."  
  
"Together!? Are you mad!?!? I would never help you! Never!"  
  
He forced both of my hands into one iron grip, and grasped my jaw with his free hand. "Look at me." He ordered.  
  
"No!" I shouted, shutting my eyes tightly. I wriggled in his grasp. "Let go!"  
  
"Do not make me hurt you, Fay! I care not how beautiful you are! If you stand in my way, I will take you down!"  
  
Sure enough, I felt myself falling to the floor. My eyes instinctively widened in surprise. The last thing that I remember was his large green orbs, and then a black haze.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
All right, for those of you who did not follow the exchange (I hard a hard time putting in simply), here's a brief summary:  
  
You know how Fay was feeling like she was worthless? Well she wasn't =actually= thinking that. Morier controlled her mind, and made her insecure about herself. He made her tell Andra about being 'insecure', and when she ran away from Legolas, everyone figured that it was because she felt insecure. But we know that that was just a cover up by Morier to keep suspicion low. After all, why would a happy girl run away? Basically, Morier makes her act unhappy, and everyone thinks she's missing because she's unhappy, not because she's been captured.  
  
You all don't know what yet, but Legolas did something to Morier YEARS ago, and Morier is still pissed. He tried to take revenge, but our lovely Legolas was too smart and too crafty in battle for him. He lost. He figured that Legolas had no weaknesses, so he brought Fay to Middle Earth (you'll find out later how he got the power to do that, because he's not a wizard). He knew Legolas would fall in love with her, and she became Legolas's weakness. Now he's going to use her to get back at Lego.  
  
*my love  
  
Sorry. I know that that wasn't the best chapter, but you guys DESERVE an update ^.^  
  
Confused? Too much Mary Sue Syndrome? Lemme know in a review!  
  
~* ElfPilot *~ 


	14. Time

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN LORD OF THE RINGS**

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**Legolas's P.O.V.**

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**I sighed. Two years. Two _long_ years. How had it come to this? How did it end here? **

**I sighed again.**

**We elves find that the passage of time flows very quickly. Two years should have passed in the blink of an eye. Yet these two years, the two that had passed since Fay had run away, seemed to drag endlessly. I feared allowing myself to slip into Elven reverie each night, as it only brought another day that much quicker. Another day with Fay missing. **

"**Your highness?" A soft voice called, questioning.**

**I looked up. **

"**Oh. Andra. It is you." **

"**Prince Legolas, are you alright? What are you doing out here in the garden?" She questioned worriedly.**

**I looked around, realizing she was right. I _was_ in the garden. I had been for several hours.**

"**Andra...do you know what today is?" I asked her quietly.**

**She set herself down next to me, a large basket of laundry in her lap. "I have a feeling I know what you are referring to." She admitted glumly, her eyes on her feet.**

"**Today is the day, two years ago, that she left."**

"**Yes. I had hoped that such a day would never come."**

"**But it has." I observed, staring once more at the flowers. They waved so gently in the breeze...as though everything in the world was carefree and beautiful as they. Or were they taunting me?**

"**Aye. It has." She replied, also heaving a sigh.**

**There was a long stretch of silence.**

"**I think," She said, after some time. "That the only thing we may do is move on, Legolas. If she is still out there in the world, it is not likely that she is coming back. If she has so forgotten us, then we may as well forget her." She murmured, a touch of anger in her voice.**

**I understood her ire. She and Fay had been such good friends through so many little trials. Andra felt betrayed that Fay could just leave that way without so much as a goodbye.**

"**I don't think she ever cared, Legolas." Andra added, her face growing heavier with each dark thought.**

**I bristled slightly. "We do not know that," I admonished softly. "For all we know she may not even be ali..."**

**I stopped. I did not want to follow that train of thought. If Fay were no longer living, the guilt I would feel for having caused her to run off would be crushing.**

**Andra snorted. "No, I doubt that." She snickered. "That lass is too spirited to let herself be trampled so. No. If I know her, she has found another far-too generous family to leech off of. I am willing to bet you that she is living comfortably as a queen."**

**I looked at Andra. I did not know what to say. Except, "I am sorry you believe such."**

**More silence.**

"**Well, I have work to be finishing. My advice, your highness, is still that you try to get on with your life. Elves may be immortal, but it does not do to tarry in dreams and forget to live."**

**With that, Andra made her way down the trail, leaving me in the garden with more questions that I'd had before.**

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**Some time later, I made my way back into the castle. **

"**O, your highness! There you are!" A servant exclaimed.**

**I turned to him. "Yes? What is it?"**

"**Your father requests your presence immediately in his study. He says it is of great importance." The servant relayed.**

"**I see. Thank you. You are dismissed."**

**With a bow, the servant scurried off down the hall. **

**I turned and started for my father's study. An urgent matter? I hoped that nothing was wrong. **

**I walked briskly and quickly arrived in front of the large wooden doors. I knocked once and waited patiently.**

"**Come in!" My father called.**

**Grabbing up the sturdy, metal handle, I entered the room and pulled the door closed behind me. **

"**Ah! Legolas! Finally! I thought for sure that if you took any longer I would have to send a search party out for you!"**

"**I am sorry, Father. I was about in the gardens and did not receive the message until..."**

"**The gardens? Again? Honestly, Legolas, you spend far too much time with your head in the clouds."**

"**I am sorry."**

"**Yes, I know. Now, I wanted to see you because someone is arriving today and I felt it very important that you know so that you may brace yourself."**

**My eyebrow rose in confusion, and I had to stop the smile forming on my face. Brace myself? **

"**It's not Sauron, is it?" I asked, chuckling slightly.**

"**Do not make light of this, Legolas. It is a very solemn matter!" My father admonished, and I quickly wiped the smirk from my face. Do you remember, several centuries ago, an elf that was banished? A certain Lord Morier?"**

**Instantly, my body tensed, on the defensive. "Yes. What of him?" I questioned through a clenched jaw.**

"**He was only banished for a limited amount of time. His sentence has expired and he is returning." **

**I had to sit in one of the chairs in my father's study to prevent myself from collapsing. **

**Taking long, deep breaths, I tried to clear my mind and speak rationally.**

"**Are you sure? There is nothing you can do?"**

"**Yes. It is, unfortunately, true. However, being king does not make me exempt from the laws that apply to all. The law clearly states that for a crime such as his, only a timed banishment is proper, and after the time is through, he may return and claim again all land that was his. I am afraid that this is beyond my reach."**

**I sat silently, trying to digest what I had heard. "Nothing?" I asked again, hoping the answer would be different this time.**

"**Nothing." My father repeated gravely.**

"**When does he arrive?"**

"**After dinner this evening."**

**I took another moment to continue my thought processes.**

"**Oh, one other thing," My father remembered suddenly. "He is bringing a woman with him. His new wife."**

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**Ah. Ok. I know, I know. Short. A cliffhanger. Terribly mean of me. I am an awful person. I should update more. But alas, I cannot. School, work, and extracurriculars all detain me! I will try my hardest on vacations, though! So I hope you enjoyed this, and _please_ review**

**ElfPilot**

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	15. The Calm Before the Storm

By noon, everyone had heard of the return of Lord Morier, and the town was absolutely buzzing. Servants whispered to each other in the hallways, nobles murmured to one another from behind jeweled hands, and the prince paced anxiously around his room.

Remember Lord Morier? How could he not? The fool had nearly destroyed all of Mirkwood in his ignorance! He had dabbled in things far beyond his understanding, and such mischievousness was not without its price. He had probed deep into the arts of black magic, concocting fatal potions and speaking of power beyond even that of the Valar. He spoke of the power to manipulate other, far-away worlds. Lunacy.

They had been forced, finally, to banish him, in hopes that in his solitude, he would either destroy himself with his dark interests or forget them all-together.

Now, centuries later, he was coming back, preaching a good word. Legolas, however, would not be fooled. A heart blackened never shone again. Lord Morier could not be trusted then, and he could not be trusted now.

Something else was amiss, also. When an elf was banished, word was sent to the other elven gatherings. None were to take the condemned in. Who would invite a criminal into their midst, anyway?

So if all the other elven cities had followed law and left Morier to his own devices, he would have been alone all these years. Yet he had a wife. In order to find and girl and be wed, he would have had to be in contact with other elves. Who were the fools who had broken the laws of exile!? Or were they accomplices that Morier had had all along...?

Legolas sighed. His father shared his worries, of course, and had promised that a strict eye would be kept on Morier. Still, though, Legolas's anxiety was not calmed.

A knock sounded on the door.

"Come in."

"Sir, your father bids you come to the main doors." The servant stated.

"Thank you; I will."

The door clicked shut as the servant was on his way.

So Morier was here, and it was time to go and meet him.

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Sorry it was so short and such a teaser, guys. I felt that I had to put _something_ up for you, though, considering how long I went without updating.

Please review, as it is greatly appreciated and constructive.

Much love,

ElfPilot


	16. Fate can be so Cruel

Wo0o0! Sorry that it has been so0o0o long guys! I do have a legitimate excuse for the tardiness this time, though; I really do! You're not gonna believe this, but I actually have a life now! Yay! LoL

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LEGOLAS'S P.O.V.

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The sound of two horses' hooves trotted down the road. Several nobles, my father and I stood outside the palace doors, waiting.

The muscle in my father's jaw was clenched, and many of the noblemen were wringing their hands. Apparently, I was not the only one upset about Morier's return. No one said a word; no one made a noise. Everyone was silent, tense.

A horse's nose came into view, and I heard someone beside me take a deep breath and slowly let it out. I wished I could, but I would not show the weakness.

He rounded the corner, and, as I took in his profile, I felt the hatred rise within me. He sat upon that horse as though he were a champion returning from battle. He was snide, arrogant, and held the smugness in every fiber of his being. A sneer of disgust itched at the corners of my mouth, but I beat it into submission (regretfully).

Then, suddenly, I saw the woman behind him, his wife. I felt the blood drain from my face.

By the Valar! It was Fay! She looked _completely_ different, but it was, without a doubt, Fay!

I knew, somewhere in the haze of my mind, that my jaw was slack and completely un-elven, but I truly could not help myself.

Morier stopped his horse and dismounted in front of my father and me, bowing.

"Your majesty!" He exclaimed. My father straightened slightly.

"Lord Morier," He acknowledged. "Milady," He nodded to the woman behind Morier.

I could not take my eyes off of her. What had he done to her? She looked completely different! She had always been pale, even for a human, but now she had an unearthly _glow_ to her! Her eyes were still blue, but they seemed sharper, somehow. It was as though she were seeing everything about her more acutely. I couldn't really describe it.

The most noticeable change, however, was her hair. When I had first met her, she had had those funny reds and blues in it. They had eventually washed and faded out to reveal her soft, blonde hair. It had not been a very light blonde. On the contrary, it had been almost dirty blonde. But now! Now, it was platinum! It was pure gold!

"May I introduce," Morier started saying, snapping me from my reverie. "My wife, Lady Inwe."

My father nodded again. "Welcome, Lady Inwe. I am King Thranduil, and this is my son, Legolas. I hope that you find happiness here in Mirkwood, with your husband." He turned his eyes on Morier. "After you have resettled into your home, I will require a brief council with you."

"Of course, my king." Morier bowed again. "Good day, gentlemen." And with that, he mounted his horse once more and started down the road.

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I paced my room. I had been doing so for the past hour or so. Fay was with Lord Morier. _Fay_ was with Lord Morier. _Fay_ was married to one of my most hated enemies!

O, the Valar were so cruel, sometimes!

I continued pacing back and forth, my frustration growing. This room felt so…so…confining! I had to get out!

Quickly, I strode to my door and threw it open. I pounded down the hallways, my mind set on reaching the stables as quickly as possible. I needed to lead my horse out of the barn, mount him, and kick him into such a pace that the wind would strip away all of my troubles.

I was so intent on my quest to my horse's stall, that I did not see the figure in front of me.

"Whoa!" Someone toppled down to the floor.

Quickly, I extended a hand to them. "I am so sorry! It was my fault; I wasn't watching where I was going and…" I stopped. The figure had taken my hand and pulled themselves up. "Lady Fay." I barely whispered.

Her brow creased. "I beg your pardon?"

I stood there another moment, my eleven composure at a complete loss. I opened my mouth, closed it. Then, "O, excuse me. I meant to say, Lady Inwe. It is just that…" I stopped. "Do you not know who I am?"

She looked at me for a long moment. I felt disappointment course through my veins. She did not know…

Suddenly there was the light of recognition in her eyes. My pulse quickened in hope…

"O! Yes! Your Highness! Of course! O, please forgive me for not recognizing you sooner!" She dropped into a deep curtsey.

Instantly, the bitter disappointment returned. "Please, rise. That is not what I meant. It is I that should be sorry. I mistook you for…for an old friend."

She stood, looking at me. Her expression was one of curiosity. She gazed upon me as though she had truly never seen me before.

O Fay, I thought, what has happened to you?

"Well I am honored that the prince finds a resemblance in me to one of his friends." She murmured.

I forced a smile.

This was so awkward.

"'Twas not hard to do, my lady. In fact, while you are adjusting to your new life here, if you ever find yourself in need of a friend, please do not hesitate to call upon me."

Her jaw practically dropped. "You…you are most kind, your highness."

"Think nothing of it." I waved my hand aside casually, a motion which did not reflect my inner feelings at all.

There was another long moment of silence. Neither of us were sure what to do.

"Well, I suppose that I should be on my way. It was a pleasure meeting you, your Highness."

"Yes; likewise…"

She curtsied again, and then started down the hall. She was gone from view in a few moments.

I remained motionless.

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I would like to thank all of the reviewers on the last chapter. They include:

Chelsea, Chris, Caladhiel, Quanla, Lawen, Sieluvar, Imcrazy.urpoint, Manson, Sk8terbabz, MethodMacleod, Fweak1, SilverTearz, Puppy, Aarien Star, Elven Script, Asphodele, Chichiri's Wanderer, Sexxi Guys My Anti Drug, and Autumn Sunlight.

Reviews are always appreciated! They inspire more and more updates ;)

Much love,

ElfPilot


	17. History

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN LORD OF THE RINGS**

This disclaimer applies to chapters 15, 16, and 17.

I would like to extend special thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter:

LegolasIsMine; X2 Aeon Darkness IX; DarkFire77; SilverTearz; ElvenScript; Caffeinated-Maniac; MordeMe; Heatherika; GarfieldBoxersShorts; AarienStar; Inwe; Blu-Eyed-Belle; and Chichiri's Wanderer.

I would especially like to thank everyone who has kept up with the story. I realize that it has been nearly three years since I started it! Reading it over, I am amazed that you loyal ones stuck with it, LoL. I would like to think that my writing has matured and that it grows better with each chapter. I would also like to think that my handling of critical or less-than-polite reviews has improved, now, as well, LoL. So please be so kind as to leave a review! My reading them is what got this chapter up!

So please enjoy and review!

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The nobles of Mirkwood and several distinguished individuals had all gathered into King Thranduil's study for a meeting. Everyone wore anxious expressions and several were glancing warily about the room, as though Morier would leap through a wall at any given moment.

When everyone had arrived, Thranduil swept into the room, the thick, wooden doors closing softly behind him. Gracefully, yet with an air of determination, he sat himself behind his desk and folded his hands on top of it.

"My Lords," He began. "You are all aware that Lord Morier has finally returned to Mirkwood. Most of you realize what a tender situation this is. Some of you, however, are unaware of his history. So please allow me to explain circumstances to you."

"The Mornië family, his, lived in Mirkwood since the beginning of its existence. In the city's infancy, when it was still Greenwood, the family was just as any other—honorable, kind, and reputable. It was after the fall of Morgoth, when Sauron began seeking revenge for his master, that there were whispers. The peoples of Middle Earth knew that the times were hard-pressed, that anyone may have been seduced by the rising Sauron. It was not discovered until The Battle of the Five Armies, however, where Sauron fought Isildur, that the Mornië's were one such family. They, like their master, were presumably defeated in the battle. No one spoke of their betrayal again, until, that is, an unknown son of Mornië came back to Mirkwood."

"It was quite some time before the War of the Ring, still, and he came to us, saying that he had left his family and their ideals before The Battle of the Five Armies. They had, in turn, disowned him, which was why no one knew of him until then. His name, he claimed, was Morier. Being that there was no evidence against Morier, and that he was apparently opposed to his family's history, he was allowed back into Mirkwood, and given back his family's land. It was agreed, however, that a watchful eye would be kept over him. When the War of the Ring began, though, this eye was drawn away from him and into more important matters. No one thought anything of it, as Morier had proved himself to be an upstanding member of society—or so it was thought. After his first few years here were quiet, and since he was of the same age as my son, I saw no harm in allowing them to befriend one another," Thandruil sighed regretfully. He swallowed and continued.

"I thought that perhaps Legolas's standing in society would rub off of the young elf and that he would be accepted more easily and not judged for his family's failures. This relationship became both a blessing and curse. With it, Morier was able to engage in his lunacy with much less suspicion. It was, thankfully, because of their friendship that Morier's wrongs were discovered, though. A few days before my son was to leave for the Council of Elrond, he went to Morier's home, to collect him for a last hunting excursion. It was in a dark, unknown passage of Morier's home that Legolas found him. The elf was raving there, surrounded by tools for the blackest actions, the dark arts. After a bitter struggle, where he made an attempt on my son's life, Legolas was able to apprehend Morier. Times were troubled enough, however, with the War of the Ring looming, and there was hardly time for Morier. He was simply banished. No one thought he would be seen again, despite that fact that his banishment was only for a short term. And it seemed that this assumption was correct—until now." Thranduil paused again, his eyes closed in deep thought.

A tentative voice rose. "Was he…is he—working for Sauron?"

"No," It was Legolas who answered. "At his trial, he admitted that he had, in fact, abandoned his family for their ties with Sauron. This is not, however, because he did not have devious intentions himself. He thought that the magic that he had found was more powerful than Sauron's. He did not want to be a puppet. He wanted to be the master. He was going to collect power for himself, overthrow Sauron, and take his own control of Middle Earth."

There was a pause—they were in shock.

"But…but _how_? What sort of magic are we talking about here? He is not a wizard, is he?"

"No, he is not a wizard," Mithrandir spoke now. "And he does not wield the magic that we have here, on Middle Earth."

Again, the stunned silence.

"His family had strong ties not only to Sauron, but to Saruman, before it was known that Saruman had betrayed the Istari. At a meeting between the two, Morier apparently stumbled upon an artifact that Saruman had in storage. How this relic came into Saruman's hands in the first place, even the Valar do not know, but it is clear that Saruman was unaware of its potential. Morier, on the other hand, was ambitious, and worse, curious. He stowed the object in his robes and took it home for further examination. Something about the object appealed to him, and his instinct proved right. It was a key to another world. Through much experimentation, Morier discovered this, and ventured into this other world. It was there that he learned his dark arts."

"When he realized the power of this little artifact, he denounced Sauron, knowing that with this key, he could come into his own power. His family disowned him for not serving their beloved Sauron—they had no idea of the key in his possession. After that, he hid away in deep forests before using the key to enter the other world. When he returned, he came to Mirkwood, spinning his lies." Thranduil finished.

"What relic was this?" Asked another noble.

"It was one whose likes I had never seen before, and haven't seen since" Mithrandir answered. "It was small, about the size of my palm, and circular. In the center of the circle was an object with five corners, each corner connected to the others and touching the inner rim of the circle. I took the object from him at his trial and it has been in safe hiding ever since." Gandalf explained.

"You're sure?" Demanded another.

"Of course," Came the calm reply of the Istari.

Thranduil spoke again. "According to the laws of banishment, after his term is served, we cannot deny Morier re-entry to his home. He has not retrieved this relic, and to our knowledge, has not found another. For all the evidence, he is harmless. Naturally, though, it will be difficult to believe him, as he came to Mirkwood a 'different elf' once before."

There were solemn nods of agreement all around the room as they thought about the situation.

"This does not mean, however," Thranduil continued. "That we must welcome Morier with open arms. If the people choose to shun him, that is their business, but we cannot refuse his return."

There was quiet once again, and then Aragorn spoke up. "Am I correct when I say that according to the laws of banishment, no gathering of elves may take a banished elf into their midst?"

"You are, indeed, correct." Thranduil nodded.

"Then how did he get a wife? To my knowledge, there have been no other banished elves, from any city, since Morier. So how did they meet? Did someone take him in? If he has lingering allies from the time when he attempted power, we must find them." Aragorn's voice was firm, yet his words cast uneasiness over the group. Several eyed one another through the corner of their eyes.

Thranduil sighed wearily once more. "I do not know how he met his wife. I imagine that if he were questioned, he would not admit to having allies of the sort, either."

"Then let us question _her_," Someone declared, to more nodding heads.

Thranduil shook his head. "We cannot question Lady Inwe. We do not even know whether she is aware of her husband's history or not. If she is, it is unlikely that she would admit it. If she does not know, then we should allow her the bliss of ignorance."

Legolas's expression hardened. "If she is unaware, then she should be warned."

"I doubt the lass knows," Gimli, who had been silently following the exchange, spoke up now. "She is far too innocent of a person to knowingly marry a person like that."

"Appearances can be deceiving, Lord Gimli," Mithrandir said softly. "Perhaps she does know."

"I think she is merely his pawn to prove that he is 'changed'," Legolas spat. "For as you said, Gimli, who would willingly marry such a vile creature? No. I think that he has some hold over her, and that he is using her to 'prove' to us that he can love and be loved."

"Whatever her situation, we will not discover it by sitting here and arguing," Thranduil concluded. "It is time, anyway, for the meeting with Morier himself. We are meeting him in my throne room. Please follow me."

Everyone rose to their feet and quietly trailed their king.

Aragorn grabbed Legolas's wrist before he disappeared amongst the nobles.

"I know that you were close to Morier before his crimes were discovered, but surely you have come to live with it. What has you so troubled, old friend?" He questioned concernedly.

"I…it's just that…well…his wife, Aragorn. I think we know her."

Aragorn looked startled. "_We_ know her? I have never met Lady Inwe in my life."

"Except that she wasn't Lady Inwe, then. When we knew her, she went by 'Fay'."

Aragorn's hand dropped off of Legolas's shoulder, where it had come to rest. His expression was as close to shock as the collected Aragorn could get.

"No. It can't be. She…she would never… And besides…she was human…"

"You forget," Legolas replied coldly, his hate for Morier coming out, "the crime that Morier was committed for. Magic, Aragorn, _dark_ magic. We never knew the extent of his powers. Who's to say that he could not have changed her into an elf?"

Aragorn fervently shook his head. "No, it cannot be. Even the Valar could not…"

"He is different from the Valar, Aragorn. His power is foreign to us."

Aragorn continued to shake his head. "I know you are upset that she ran away, Legolas, but I do not think that Fay would join up with _Morier_."

"Not willingly, no. As I said in the meeting, I suspect that he has a hold over her, and a very strong one, at that."

"I…I don't know. I am sorry, my friend. You could be right…but it is so farfetched…"

"Aragorn," Legolas took him by the shoulders and looked him in the eye. "Out of everything that you have seen in your life, how can _you_, of all people, find something farfetched?"

Aragorn was quiet a moment. "You're right. Of course, you're right."

There was another long, silent moment. "Come," Aragorn began. "We should get to the meeting before your father worries."

* * *

King Thranduil sat upon his throne, Legolas next to him, and the nobles on each side of the room. Morier, directly in front of the king, stood from his bow.

"Your Majesty, it is most gracious of you to have me back in Mirkwood." He stated.

"Lord Morier, you know very well that were it not for the laws, you would not be here right now." Thranduil replied bitterly.

"Yes, yes of course, your Majesty," He bowed his head again.

"You were summoned here in warning," Thranduil continued. "If it is ever again discovered that you are returning to your dark ways, there is no force on Middle Earth, or any other world, for that matter, that will save you from sure and sudden death. I do not know how much your wife knows but…"

"She knows everything, your Majesty," Morier interjected hurriedly. "Before we were married, I knew that it would be wrong not to tell her, even if it meant that she would reject our marriage. She was surprised, of course, but she quickly came to accept it. The past, she said, is over for a reason. She loves me unconditionally, and I have never, and will never, betray her trust."

There was a long moment of stillness.

"Tell me, how did you come to meet your wife?" Thranduil asked, knowing that he was unlikely to receive the truth.

Morier smiled, as if the memory brought him great joy. "Her family was one in a clan of roaming elves. They never stayed in one place for very long. I had made myself a home that was not far from Mirkwood's borders after my banishment, and one day, her clan traveled nearby. The camped for the night by a stream. Not knowing they were they, I went out one morning to the stream to collect its water. She was also there, just south of her camp, exploring. It was love at first sight." His smile grew bigger.

"Then?" Thranduil pushed, ignoring Morier's sentiment.

"After a wonderful day together, she insisted that I meet her family, and she took me to their camp. _They_ insisted that I become part of their clan. So I returned home, gathered everything that I would need, and then made my way back to their camp without ever looking back at my little home. I suspect it is in ruins, now."

"You are aware," Legolas growled, leaning forward slightly. "That you broke the laws of banishment in joining with other elves?"

Surprise crossed Morier's face. "I thought that the rule only applied to elven cities, your highness. I thought that since they were nomadic elves, my being with them was perfectly legal. And, to be truthful, being around them after so many years only confirmed my mistake to me. You do not know how lucky you are until you don't have your luxuries anymore. Finally being around elves again, Inwe, specifically, showed me the error of my ways. I would never, ever risk kinship, or, more importantly, my wife, for that black power, again."

There were small murmurs from the nobles, a few nodding heads.

"I am very glad to hear that, Morier, for if you return to your crimes, not only will you be sentenced to death, but your wife will be severely punished, as well. All of these nobles will bear witness to the fact, if ever the need arises." Thranduil declared seriously.

"I would never forgive myself if Inwe suffered, your Majesty. You have my word that I am a changed elf. I will bring only joy to Mirkwood." Morier swore.

"Very good, then, you are dismissed." Thranduil replied, and, after a bow, Morier was gone. The nobles began to disperse as well. Only Mithrandir, Aragorn, and Gimli stayed with the king and his prince.

Thranduil sighed. "What do you think, Mithrandir?"

The old wizard sighed as well. "His eyes were on you, your Majesty, so I could not judge his truthfulness by them. Everything he said may be somewhat truthful, but he must be vigilantly watched. I am sure that he is not completely changed."

"I do not trust him in the slightest!" Legolas declared. "He is a snake and he will destroy Mirkwood the first chance that he gets!"

"Aye! I agree!" Gimli growled.

Thranduil nodded. "It would be deeply appreciated if you three would stay longer and help me with this matter until things begin to settle down."

"Of course," Mithrandir smiled, and Aragorn and Gimli nodded.

* * *

Okay, I got the Mornië family name straight from the Lord of the Rings movie soundtrack. In the song "May It Be" on the Fellowship of the Ring Soundtrack, it says that 'mornië' means 'darkness' in Quenya. So that's just to let you know where I got it from :)

I also realize now that after the War of the Ring, Mirkwood was cleansed and renamed Eryn Lasgalen. As I stated at the beginning of this chapter, this fic has been a learning experience, and I was unaware of this information when I started it. So since I have naively been calling it Mirkwood, I will continue on this road for reasons of consistency, unless I find a better solution :)

In case it wasn't clear, the 'relic' that Morier had was a pentagram/pentacle (over-used by Hollywood, I know, but it serves its purpose here). He used it to come to our world and learn a witchcraft (not Pagan, Wiccan, Voodoo, or anything like that; just some anonymous 'craft' that would be deadly in Middle Earth because they have never heard of it and do not know how to fight it). He also learned a _very_ powerful hypnotism of sorts here.

So I hope you all enjoyed it! Please review now!

ElfPilot


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